I’d like to thank Jorge Retamoza for sharing two new transcriptions to the repository. Two very different solos but both from two great baritonists.
The second solo is a Pepper Adams solo. Its the title track from his album, “Urban Dreams”. Not much to add here other than its great to have another classic Pepper solo in the mix. Urban Dreams is one of the later recordings he made as a leader.
Head on over to the Transcriptions page and check them out.
Jay Metcalf of the BetterSax YouTube channel did a very nice video segment with baritonist Jason Marshall. They talk about sound, air, the difference between low Bb and Low A, equipment and more. Check it out below.
The total download count for the Transcription repository has surpassed 300,000! That’s a lot of baritone solos! Looking forward to the next 300,000!
-Andrew Hadro
Curator, JazzBariSax.com
Jimmy Heath passed away earlier this year at the age of 93. If you enjoy jazz autobiographies his is well worth the read, “I Walked With Giants”. He was a master saxophonist, a great teacher amazing composer, big band leader and frankly one of the wittiest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. So please check out a rare baritone solo from this master saxophonist on the Transcriptions page.
Over the last few months as all musicians have basically been sidelined at home, many of them have taken to collaborating online. One such group is the Quarantined Woodwind Ensemble, made up of many of New York City’s finest Jazz and/or Broadway musicians. Their most recent video on the classic song “Just The Two Of Us” features prominently two baritone saxophonists – Lauren Sevian and Jason Marshall. Check out the video below.
In other news, fantastic baritonist, record collector, and jazz scholar Frank Basile recently participated in a very interesting radio show. Its a show that features music found on 78 records. For you young ones out there, that’s not 1978, that 78 rpm vinyl shellac records (thank you for the correction, Frank) that were used mostly in the first half of the 20th century. Frank brought in and discussed a number of excellent Be-Bop era records. To listen to the show head over to the Hot Club of New York website and scroll down to “Frank Basile”.
Thank you again to Noah Pettibon! We have a new Pepper Adams transcription on the Transcriptions Page. This time on the Thelonious Monk composition, “Played Twice”. Head on over and check it out.
Some people want to just be able to focus on the saxophone and not mix politics. I’m pretty sure that’s how the artists felt 60 years ago. See below for the message displayed during the dark period.
JazzBariSax.com would not exist without Jazz. Jazz is a Black American Music. All of the content on this site is directly descended from the art and lives of Black Americans. In solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement JazzBariSax.com will be unavailable for 48 hours.
If you are grateful, or have use for the content on this website, I humbly suggest that you take some time to appreciate the great American artists that have made it possible. It is important then to acknowledge the struggles, discrimination, and brutality they faced while creating this music in America and the rest of the world. We have taken so much joy and pleasure in their art without doing enough to end the misery they endured.
I urge you to support the reforms needed to end violence and discrimination. If possible please consider donating to one of the following organizations:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund: https://www.naacpldf.org/
ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/
Black Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatter.com/Sincerely,
Andrew Hadro
Curator, JazzBariSax.com
We also now have our very first Joe Temperley solo in the repository. I can’t believe we didn’t have one before now, but thankfully that gap has at least somewhat been filled. Many thanks to Tom Sabin, for sending in a transcription to start us off for Joe. Quite coincidentally this solo is also on Ellington’s “In A Mellow Tone“!
This is a pretty cool opportunity to see how two very different players approach the same standard. I hope everyone is staying well and busy during the on-going quarantine. Hopefully the plethora of new transcriptions will keep you all busy.
A few weeks ago Paul Nedzela prepared a great overview and history of the baritone saxophone as part of Lincoln Center’s Jazz Academy. The video is now up on YouTube! It includes a great basic history of the baritone saxophone in jazz with lots of listening examples, and at the end Paul answers a bunch of questions for everyone. If you didn’t catch the initial live stream check it out below:
