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Favorite Christian Sax Players

41K views 93 replies 52 participants last post by  Jorns Bergenson 
#1 ·
Anybody have any favorite Christian sax players? The only one I can think of is Justo Almario... some incredible parts on some of Tommy Walker's songs.

He's going to be at the Willow Creek conference in June, but I haven't decided if I'm going yet.
 
#11 ·
Saxboys stuff will be easier to find. I have only been doing session work in Nashville for about a year and a half -- so I don't get all the master sessions yet -- tons of demo work though.

I do have some stuff thats on shelves in the Southern Gospel realm -- mainly from folks on the Bill Gaither tour. And I have done a couple of film soundtracks.

And I do have some solo appearances showing up on the CTN (Christian television network) on cable and I have a solo project that I am working on in the studio that should be out in about six months -- I think it will be a good one -- its has all top notch studio guys from here in town.

I play live with some of the Integrity music folks -- not as much as I used to though -- I have an 8 month old. I did do some recording with Alecia Williamson (formerly of Truth) that hopefully will make it to the shelves.

Hopefully, over time I will get some higher profile stuff and build a decent resume. It takes a while to make contacts in Nashville, and its all about contacts here.
 
#12 ·
Favorite Christian Sax Player

For now and always will be Lanny Cox, the sax player for Truth. Man when Lanny wailed in concert, you could tell the spirit was playing thru him.

I have had the honor of playing next to him at First Redeemer Church in Cumming Ga for over a year now. Many of his Truth Alumni play there, and he is absolutely the most humble spirit filled Sax Player to day. "Pastor" Lanny preaches when he plays. Thats about the only way to put it.
 
#13 ·
I'm confused... are you talking Christian music, or sax players who happen to be Christians, or both? I would think that the former would almost denote the latter, but that the latter alone would mean pretty much nothing in terms of musicality :wink:
 
#14 ·
Exactly, Razzy. :?
 
#15 ·
This area gets blurry... Is Kirk Whalum a Christian Music artist or a sax player that happens to be a Christian? Well, his albums do have themes about his faith, such as "Unconditional". So does this make it a Christian Music album? Not necessarily. At the same time, Kirk plays in a lot of secular situations.

I think a musician's faith does effect what music he/she chooses to play and the style in which they play. Their faith might also be what inspires their improvisation. Does their faith "mean nothing in terms of musicality"? I think a person's belief system would effect their musicality.

I better stop here. One thing I hate to see things get out of hand when the subjects of religion, politics or Kenny G are discussed in a forum like this :)
 
#16 ·
Ha :) I guess I'm actually referring to both. While I explicitly seek out sax playing in Christian music, a la the band Big Daddy Weave (just discovered them... GREAT band), I'm also curious about sax players who might be Christians playing in any venue. Kirk Whalum is an excellent example of this.

The only place I currently have the opportunity to play in is church, and I absolutely love it. But I'd also like to play other venues as well.
 
#17 ·
Gaijin-san said:
Ha :) I guess I'm actually referring to both. While I explicitly seek out sax playing in Christian music, a la the band Big Daddy Weave (just discovered them... GREAT band), I'm also curious about sax players who might be Christians playing in any venue. Kirk Whalum is an excellent example of this.

The only place I currently have the opportunity to play in is church, and I absolutely love it. But I'd also like to play other venues as well.
yessss, big daddy weave! i love that song "neighborhoods" with that guitar and sax solos, awesome stuff.

i play in church, too, in a small youth group worship band. good stuff...
 
#18 ·
What about us heathens, pagans, agnostics, and Buddhists? What's our sax playing sound like? Sorry, guess I better not go there........

Actually it is probably true that all your life experience has a bearing on your music. At least that's the goal. Cheers.
 
#19 ·
Well I guess it is sort of a can of worms to be opening, but hopefully we can all keep our beliefs in check and think rationally :wink: I am not really of any faith, not necessarily by choice, but by nature. Calls to mind a quote I recently heard in a film: "We do not choose our beliefs; they choose us." So I guess you could say I'm of the atheistic faith. However I do enjoy reading up on mysticism and relgious practices and superstitions and such (merely as a psychological study of the need for humans to have a faith or system of beliefs), and perhaps in some way this HAS affected my playing.

To clarify, the point I was hinting at above is that Christianity wouldn't necessarily denote skill, just as being a devout Buddhist, practicioner of Yoga, serial killer, or any other "calling of choice" would. However we can definitely use our other (sometimes spiritual) callings to give us something to make our music about, and perhaps as a driving force to make the sound and the ideas coming through our horn a little bit more of what we're shooting for. For me, music is a spiritual calling in itself, a self-effacing purpose, and really the only thing I could say I "believe" in. My inspiration comes from it and it alone :twisted: Another note is that the musical style spurred by certain religions may very well lead one to his or her goals, simply by influence. But if someone happens to believe God or Allah or Bozo the Clown himself bestowed them with their musical gifts, all the more power to you 8) I prefer to think that I have worked at it and overcoming the adversity I have grown up with has served as a source of motivation to pull myself out of but at the same time I do not want to forget these times, when I had to create my morals and my dignity entirely alone.

Now that I'm getting off on somewhat of a rant, I'll try my best to finish up! Overall I prefer to believe that the human spirit itself is the strongest thing we have going for us, and not a God above looking down and giving us this consciousness as well as his guidance. That is MY take, other beliefs may, and I definitely respect them...
 
#21 ·
Well, I've been biting my tongue since I first read the topic because this thread could go downhill quick and then get pulled and the original question is a search for sax players within a certain genre.

But since the subject has been broached, I'll go ahead and say that I am uncomfortable with the use of "Christian" in this context, which comes from a certain exclusivistic and judgemental interpretation of just who and what merits the term. In this "Christian" community, midstream Episcopalians, Catholics, Lutherans, Orthodox, etc are not included because they do not fall within that evangelic tradition. And certainly not Mormons.

So, if you go into most "Christian" bookstores, you will not find Luther's Little Catechism and you'll be lucky to find Augustine's City of God. If you go to the "Christian" music section you will not find Stravinsky's Requium or Bach's St. Luke's Passion, Christian music if I've ever heard it.

And if anyone thinks this "Christian" music community is widely ecumenical, they should consider the ostracisation and storm of criticism Amy Grant had to endure when she began producing pop records versus "Christian" ones.

Sorry if this offends anyone but bigotry of any type offends me.
 
#23 ·
i know you guys want to voice your opinions and all (forgive me for i'm a young 'un), but no one was really concerned about beliefs and such - just about favorite christian saxophonists, or saxophonists who are christian, i dont know :?

so...how about we get back to the subject? :lol:
i'd like to get more names to add to my list so i can make look for them later. does anyone know any good bands w/saxophones in them like big daddy weave? i'd like to listen to more sax where there's a whole band w/singer as opposed to a solo artist and stuff. thx


and "lol" at stitch for saying "amen" to what gary and razzy said :D
 
#24 ·
Asian(-Pacific) Sax- Off topic but where you from? I'm from Kailua (Oahu) and went grad McKinley. One year at the U.H. too. Aloha!
 
#25 ·
One of the great things that I personally believe God gave humans was the ability to create along with free will. In opening up a non-specific topic like this, I was not sure where it would go... and that's just fine with me. I'm fascinated by wherever the thread might go and will read all of it.

On another note, I don't think I've sensed an ounce of bigotry in this thread thus far, though the phrase "any form of bigotry offends me" could be interpreted as bigotry in its own right, as you're not willing to tolerate a bigot. :|

Anyway, I suppose the word "bigot" or "bigotry" is often mis-used, as it is not simply intolerance, but unreasoning intolerance or prejudice.

Now, on yet a different note, while we're speaking in this vein, I struggle with the issue of individuals being open-minded or closed-minded. The world today tells us that it is best if everyone is completely open-minded. Yet I feel that if an individual has been open-minded throughout their life and finally discovers truth, then that individual is in the right to hold to that truth or belief in that truth. Again, I suppose we get down to the definition of the word, though, as someone who is closed-minded won't even listen to or examine/study new ideas/thoughts, he or she is completely unreceptive. So there is a difference between being purely closed-minded and being open-minded but having pre-formed beliefs or opinions.

Anyway, like Asian Sax, I wouldn't be opposed to getting back to the title of the thread. You see, I'm simply interested in a genre of musical talent that happens to be Christian and/or espouse Christianity. I did not make any statements against musicians who happen to be buddhist, muslim, hindu, jainist, or followers of the ba'hai faith. While I may think personally that those individuals are being led astray, that has no bearing on whether or not I will listen to and enjoy their music. However, I happen to be searching for Christian music at this time.

Suppose I were to be searching for "Favorite Kenny Garrett-like saxophonists..." That thread would surely NOT be the place to suggest that Kenny Garrett's style is all wrong, that I should instead listen to the likes of David Sanborn, Charlie Parker, Dave Koz, Gato Barbieri, etc, etc. It WOULD be the place to suggest I continue to listen to Kenny Garrett as well as some perhaps well-less known saxophonists that have a style similar to Kenny Garrett.

Ok, with a post like this, I suppose I've touched on so many topics this thread could shoot off in hundreds of directions. But like I said, if you read the title again, you ought to have some idea what direction the thread was intended to go (I enjoy reading it regardless).
 
#26 ·
Gaijin-san,

Very well put, this is not a topic to expound upon you beliefs or disbeliefs. It is a topic that was opened to discover some saxophonists that consider themselves Christians or play Christian music.

If you are offended by the topic, then goe somewhere else. Lets go forward. If someone wants to, they could open a topic "favorite atheist saxophonists" or "favorite buddist saxophonists". I wouldn't be offended or feel that I need to explain my views on life in those topics.
 
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