Here’s another great solo transcription from a Youtube video that I started working on a few days ago.   My tenor was getting overhauled so I thought I would take a stab at an alto solo while it was in the shop.  This is from the great sax player, Danny Walsh and is a solo he played with the Ball  State Jazz Ensemble.  The tune is “One for Rich” but the chord changes are based off of “How Deep is the Ocean”.

Danny went to Berklee College of Music and left shorty before I got there in the mid 80’s.  I’m not sure I have ever heard him live although the summer before I went to Berklee I remember hearing an ensemble behind a closed door and the tenor player was playing a killing solo which sounded like Michael Brecker to me.  I always wondered if that was Danny playing………

I haven’t heard too much from Danny since the 80’s but when I heard he had released a recording called “Entering In” I was one of the first to buy it.  This is a great CD! Danny’s sound on both tenor and alto saxophone is beautiful.   One of the aspects I love the most about Danny’s playing is his ability to take a solo “outside”.  It seems effortless to him and his lines just flow whether they are “inside” bebop lines or “outside” Brecker type lines.  It is obvious that Danny Walsh is very talented and has spent his time in the woodshed that is for sure.  You can hear the Coltrane and Brecker influence on his lines that is for sure!

If you have never heard of Danny Walsh before, check out his CD and any future projects he plays on!

Solo starts at :12

This was a harder solo to transcribe and once I got into it I thought “Oh Crap!” but the lines are so killin’ that I thought it was worth the time!  Enjoy!

One for Rich-Danny Walsh Alto Sax Solo

This is Danny Walsh’s last recording.  Check it out!!

Danny Walsh “Entering In” Itunes

Danny Walsh “Entering In” CD Baby

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing

If you like these types of modern lines like I do, be sure to check out my jazz video lessons and books for some great resources!  Here are just a few on a variety of modern improvisation topics.  I have 11 jazz improvisation books out now and over 500 30 minute+ video and audio lessons to choose from……..   Steve

Modern Improv

• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 1
• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 2
• Altered Dominant Substitutions-Lesson 3
• Chord Substitution Lesson 2-The Tritone Lesson
• Chord Substitutions-Lesson 1
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 1
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 2
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 3
• Devastating Minor Lines Lesson 4
• II-V-I Altered Scale Mastery-Lesson 1
• Minor Chord Substitution Lines Lesson
• Minor ii-7b5-V7b9 Substitution Lesson 1
• Modern Minor 6th Pentatonic Lines Lesson
• Playing Outside-3 Tonic Chromaticism Lesson
• Playing Outside-4 Note Pentatonic Cells Lesson
• Playing Outside-Altered Pentatonics Lesson 1
• Playing Outside-Chromaticism 1 Lesson
• Playing Outside-Random Note Lesson
• Playing Outside-Shifting Pentatonics Lesson
• Playing Outside-The Major Minor Blues Scale Lesson 1

Here’s some reviews:

• I’ve been downloading your lessons for 4 months now (20 lesson) and I have noticed tremendous growth in my playing thus far! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site!
• I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ‘em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!
• I’ve been a member of Steve’s site for about six months now and the difference it has made to my playing is immeasurable. The (many) benefits of this membership are that you can have lessons at time convenient to you, they work out A LOT cheaper than face-to-face lessons with a teacher of the same calibre and you can replay them ad infinitum. I don’t know how many times have I had lessons in the past where I’ve ended up covering the same concepts when really a ‘replay’ of the last lesson would have been fine! I’m not on commission here – just wanted to write a review to encourage people to do this. Without doubt the most time and cost effective investment I’ve made in taking my playing to where it should be…Cheers Steve.