Here’s another great swingin’ tenor sax solo transcription of a young tenor sax player, Liam Byrne soloing on the jazz standard “Almost Like Being in Love” by Frederick Loewe. He is playing duo with the pianist Rossano Sportiello at a private party back in 2016.
You may remember that I transcribed a killer blues solo by Liam Byrne back in 2014 called Uptown Shuffle. Liam Byrne caught my attention when I first heard his flowing lines on that blues seven years ago. His tenor saxophone sound and lines were indicative of an “old soul” in a young body to my ear. There was a maturity and substance to his playing that you don’t usually hear in a young musician of his age.
This great solo transcription of Liam Byrne soloing on “Almost Like Being in Love” was done by Elmar Krick from Munich, Germany. Elmar gave me permission to share it with all of you as well. Thanks Elmar!
Here’s a short Bio about Liam Byrne from his website at liambyrnejazz.com:
Described as a torchbearer of the jazz tenor saxophone tradition, North Wales-born Liam Byrne studied at Leeds College of Music, winning several awards including the Dave Cooper Memorial Prize for Jazz Saxophone and the ‘Spud Murphy’ Saxophone Prize, and is also a graduate of the London Guildhall School of Music. Based in Wales, he has worked around the UK with a variety of the area’s finest musicians, as well as the likes of Harry Allen and Rossano Sportiello. With a warm smooth sound and swinging style based on the playing of such masters as Lester Young and Wardell Grey, Byrne is a talent to keep an eye on.
A popular guest at jazz clubs around the UK, more recently Liam has studied with renowned bebop pianist Barry Harris and has been invited to perform in Europe, appearing at jazz clubs in France and the Netherlands.
Liam Byrne-Tenor Saxophone
It’s great to see a young tenor sax player carrying on the jazz tradition and playing jazz at live gigs. I love Liam Byrne’s dark and sultry tenor sax tone on this video. His tenor sax solo on “Almost Like Being in Love” is filled with some classic swinging bebop lines that are worth checking out! I look forward to hearing more from him in the future! Thanks Liam!!!
Liam Byrne Soloing on Almost Like Being in Love
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That’s wonderful! So natural just like singing while keeping it playful with smart variations. Fantastic!
Thanks Steve for sharing. Thumbs up 👍🏽
Nice sound. Nice to hear another Prez inspired young tenor player who plays “Melodically and doesn’t just run changes. Also the piano really knows his stuff. He goes into a stride style on his solo before he goes back to swing style comping
I hear to him and immediately think to Wardell Gray; before read the biography: very good (Byrne, not me)! 🎷
Thanks Steve!
Giuseppe.
Thanks Steve for writing and posting this.The solo is so melodic . Just flows with great notes.He certainly brings back that era of jazz.
Hi Paul, Glad you like it! Just wanted to make clear that I didn’t transcribe this but Elmar Krick in Germany did all the work and then shared it with me. Steve