Here is another swingin’ melody/solo by the great tenor saxophone player from Italy, Max Ionata. I absolutely love this short rendition from Instagram of the melody of “I Remember You” with Max’s signature bebop lines weaved within the spaces. Max Ionata plays with a perfect blend of hip jazz lines, crazy technique, a swingin’ time feel, a melodic concept that is so easy to listen to and a tenor saxophone tone that is out of this world!
Max Ionata’s Inspiration CD (One of my favorite recordings)
Listen to the informal video below and notice how effortless and flowing Max’s lines are. Besides being one of my favorite tenor sax players, I believe that Max Ionata is also the king of bebop triplets in my mind. He makes them sound so fluid and swinging! (I wonder if this is due to his mustache…..)
I am also a big fan of Max’s jazz articulation style. This whole short clip is full of all sorts of articulation but it never sounds forced or rushed. Even with all the accents and short notes, it still sounds incredibly smooth and flowing.
I typically get a few emails a month asking me about what jazz etude books to get and most of the time my response is: Transcribe or take a transcription like this one that you love, and master it! Listen to the recording over and over. Sing along with it by memory, hum it while you are walking and driving. Play it over and over trying to match every note, every articulation, every bend and nuance. There is no better etude to study than that!
I have posted other transcriptions of “But Not for Me” , Home At Last , You’re Driving Me Crazy, Parole Parole, as well as a solo of his on a minor blues with Dave O’Higgins. If you don’t know Max Ionata’s tenor sax playing, please check out these recordings and Youtube videos of his. Max Ionata has a tenor sax tone from heaven in my opinion and his jazz playing is equally as beautiful. His tone is lush, dark and full of character and his swingin’ lines are as smooth as butter.
Hope you enjoy this short solo! Thanks to Max Ionata for his incredible tenor sax playing that always brings a smile to my face! Do yourself a favor and check out Max Ionata’s website as well! If you appreciate the solo and Max Ionata’s playing please feel free to say so in the comments below……….. Thanks, Steve
Max Ionata Playing a One Chorus Melody/Solo over “I Remember You” from Instagram
Max Ionata Solo on I Remember You-Eb PDF
Max Ionata Solo on I Remember You-Concert Key PDF
Hi Steve
I am sharing your opinion, Max Ionata is an underrated artist. He is one of my still living idols…..His playing sounds so easily and clear, it is a pleasure to follow his melodic ideas on any standard tune. I tried to get him to Zurich Switzerland, Moods Jazz Club, but the organization committee did ignore my suggestion…maybe in the future, anyway when I wrote Max he was very kind and interested to come to Switzerland. Maybe next Montreux Jazz Festival?
Thx for your great work transcribing his solos. I absolutely agree with you : transcribing is a real good exercise to understand what the artist is doing. Many years I played and trust on my ears. Now I am beginning to understand what these cats do harmonically, by transcribing by myself and reading and learning from other saxophonists like you and your transcribings.
I appreciate that all your transcribings are free, many other transcribers offer their work for cash.
I love the sax sound of Max also like you , there are some videos on YT about the R. Navarro MPs like Maestro and BeBob special, really great sounding voice on his Selmer MKVI, which Max sold two years ago; noch he changed to a silver-plated SBA, also great sounding but darker and with more body in the tone. Personally I preferred his brighter MK VI sound, like the early Bob Mintzer or Michael Brecker, Bob Berg etc.
Hope you keep transcribing more great saxophone tunes of Max and other artists.
Maybe Bob Bergs Friday Night at the Cadillac club, live version?
Take care and hearty regards from Switzerland
How can anyone not enjoy this and other Max Ionata solos?
Fantastic!
Thank for the transcription.
Giuseppe.
Hi Steve,
I completely agree with you; Max deserves much more “success” than just being a musician’s musician. Who knows, if he’d been born in the US…
If I may, I’d suggest another album, which I find excellent: “Organic” (you’ll find it under Giovanni Amato’s name).
Listen: it’s definitely worth it… Greetings from Italy!