Here’s another great bop solo by one of my favorite alto players “Jesse Davis”. Jesse has one of the best alto sounds I have heard and I love how he can incorporate killer bebop lines and phrases with a bluesy feel and sound. (Another master of this technique was without a doubt Cannonball) Here’s a Read More…
AM Mouthpieces “The Aras” Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
April 6, 2015 by 21 Comments
Today, I am reviewing a new tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by Arnold Montgomery of AM Mouthpieces. It is “The Aras” model and has an 8 tip opening. I hadn’t heard of Arnold Montgomery before but he emailed me asking if I would be willing to review his “The Aras” mouthpiece. He hinted that there was something unique about it that he was getting Read More…
Michael Brecker Transcription-A Night in Tunisia-Chaka Kahn
March 24, 2015 by 12 Comments
For this week’s new transcription I have been working on a solo by Michael Brecker over “A Night in Tunisia”. This is from a video on Youtube of Chaka Kahn performing a great version of this tune in 1981. I just discovered this Youtube video last week when someone posted it on Facebook. I must have watched Brecker’s solo 20 times in Read More…
Michael Brecker Tenor Sax Solo Transcription-Four Chords
March 13, 2015 by 2 Comments
Here’s another new transcription I have been working on. This is Michael Brecker’s 5 chorus solo over the tune “Four Chords” from the album Paradox by Steps Ahead. This is young Michael Brecker tearing it up with some high energy classic “Brecker” lines. The Paradox album is one of the many Steps Ahead albums that I purchased back Read More…
Chris Potter playing the alto saxophone at 15………….
January 17, 2015 by 1 Comment
Here’s an interesting video I just found the other day! This is Chris Potter playing a gig when he was 15 years old! Chris Potter is one of the top tenor saxophone player’s in the world right now. It is so interesting to hear where he was at when he was just 15 years Read More…
Tony Dagradi Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription on Invitation
January 7, 2015 by 1 Comment
So this week I wanted to keep to my transcription goal but things have been a bit hectic around here. I was playing a Benjamin Allen Tony Dagradi model tenor mouthpiece most of today while I was practicing and it reminded me of a Tony Dagradi solo on Invitation that I had heard a while Read More…
Michael Brecker Transcription-Blue Bossa 1985
December 24, 2014 by 10 Comments
Happy Holidays Everyone!! Here’s another new transcription I have been working on. It’s Christmas Eve, the wife and kids are in bed, the presents are under the tree, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse, when down from Steve’s office arose such a clatter, the sound of Michael Brecker……that was the matter………. This is Read More…
Michael Brecker Transcription of Confirmation-Berklee Clinic 1987
December 16, 2014 by 6 Comments
Here’s another new transcription I’m working on. Every once in a while I get in a mood to transcribe some Michael Brecker. Then, after I get started I soon think “What the heck was I thinking? This is crazy!” It’s usually after I have slowed down one section to the slowest it can possibly go and Read More…
Great Transcription of George Coleman over Cherokee Changes
December 10, 2014 by 6 Comments
Here’s a burnin’ tenor saxophone solo from the great George Coleman. This is from the album “Amsterdam After Dark”. It is from the tune “Apache Dance” which has a solo section over the changes of “Cherokee”. I was actually given this solo transcription by a teacher at Berklee almost 30 years ago. (I think it Read More…
Scott Hamilton & Harry Allen Blues Up and Down Transcription
December 6, 2014 by 8 Comments
Here’s another great solo transcription from one of my favorite recordings. This is a fast blues called “Blues Up & Down” and is from the CD entitled “Heavy Juice”. This CD features Scott Hamilton and Harry Allen both on the tenor saxophone. Both of these great musicians swing like crazy on this album. This is a recording I would Read More…
Danny Walsh Chameleon Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription
November 27, 2014 by 2 Comments
Here’s another great solo transcription from a Youtube video that I started working on a few days ago. This is from another terrific tenor sax player, Danny Walsh. I believe 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 Read More…
Great Lenny Pickett Clinic
November 25, 2014 by 3 Comments
I just found these videos on Youtube a few minutes ago and started watching them. Lenny Pickett is a tenor sax player known to almost all saxophone players. If you have ever watched Saturday Night Live, you have heard Lenny Pickett. He’s the sax player in the middle of the TV screen playing notes so Read More…
Liam Byrne Tenor Saxophone Blues Solo Transcription
November 19, 2014 by 4 Comments
Here’s a nice swingin’ blues solo transcription I started working on a few days ago. This is from a young tenor sax player, Liam Byrne. The group is called BBQ and stands for Brownfield/Byrne Quintet. Here’s a short Bio about Liam Byrne from his website: ‘…Saxophonist Liam Byrne, from North Wales (UK), studied at Leeds College Read More…
Donny McCaslin Blues Solo in 4ths Transcriptions
November 12, 2014 by 5 Comments
Here are 2 more solo transcriptions I started working on yesterday. This is from a clinic recording of Donny McCaslin demonstrating using fourth intervals while improvising over a standard blues on the tenor saxophone. I have no idea what this is from or even where I got it but it must have been on the internet somewhere. I Read More…
Bob Mintzer Blues Solo Transcription in 12 Keys
October 31, 2014 by 6 Comments
Here’s another solo transcription I just finished this week. This is another solo from one of my favorite tenor sax players, Bob Mintzer and is from a youtube clip of Bob soloing on a blues in all 12 keys. I love Bob’s playing because it is so melodic and thematic. He always plays ideas that Read More…
Bob Mintzer Solo on “I Love You”
September 17, 2014 by 6 Comments
Here’s a solo transcription I started working on a few weeks ago. This is from one of my favorite tenor sax players, Bob Mintzer. I love Bob’s playing because it is so melodic and thematic. He always plays ideas that you can grasp on to and that are catchy, yet he mixes in some pretty Read More…
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