Stupidly I once thought the alto sax was a wimpy instrument. Why would Charlie Parker, Art Pepper, Cannonball Adderley, Arnie Lawrence, and Phil Woods (to name just the musicians who come to mind immediately) have played a wimpy instrument?
However, think of the tenor players everyone admires: Lester Young (who could play with power when he wanted to), Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, and a dozen other powerful African-American musicians who used the tenor sax assertively.
When I took up saxophone again as a grownup, I started with tenor, but I eventually gravitated toward the baritone sax, which is more a supportive than a self-assertive instrument. I'm not a powerful African-American man (which isn't to say that there haven't been great white tenor players like Stan Getz, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims).
However, recently I enrolled in a blues workshop, and I decided to take out my tenor again. I didn't feel like lugging my baritone around, and I thought it was time to try out my first saxophone love. It's fun to use a new voice and find myself in it. Maybe I can channel some of those powerful players.
However, think of the tenor players everyone admires: Lester Young (who could play with power when he wanted to), Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, and a dozen other powerful African-American musicians who used the tenor sax assertively.
When I took up saxophone again as a grownup, I started with tenor, but I eventually gravitated toward the baritone sax, which is more a supportive than a self-assertive instrument. I'm not a powerful African-American man (which isn't to say that there haven't been great white tenor players like Stan Getz, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims).
However, recently I enrolled in a blues workshop, and I decided to take out my tenor again. I didn't feel like lugging my baritone around, and I thought it was time to try out my first saxophone love. It's fun to use a new voice and find myself in it. Maybe I can channel some of those powerful players.
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