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Suggestions for listening to bari sax ?

10K views 37 replies 26 participants last post by  Jayn 
#1 ·
I would like to "get into" my bari a bit more and was wondering if anyone could suggest some listening material which I might find inspirational. What I'm not looking for is bebop with that dry 50's combo sound...:tsk:..nor dazzeling displays of technique. What I would really like to find is some bari sax music couched in a background of synth/electronica, or fusion in the vein of Weather Report and Passport, only with bari sax. Does anybody know of any music like that which has been recorded ?
Thanks, frank
 
#3 ·
Thanks Eugene,
I hear what you are saying and if I were currently looking for something to play this would be great, however, ....I am more interested in listening materials for shere enjoyment and inspiration as opposed to playing anything right now. BTW I do also like Gerry and Morphine...just not what I am currently looking for. I might have to check out The Budos Band as that one is new to me.
 
#14 ·
There's a reason he looks like he's in pain.
 
#5 ·
BTW fredbart... At the age of 17 while trying to enter Thr Metropole in NYC w/ a fake I.D. Mr. Mulligan took time to let me in and after a short conversation he offered his autographs for me and my 3 buddies outside w/ a 'proxy' autograph fror 'Zoot' since I was playing tenor... Gerry said him & Zoot were OK like that!
 
#7 ·
Hi eugeneherman,
Yeah, 2 thumbs up to Woody and the Herd (1st and 2nd). I am from a more rural area and never got to see them live, but I grew up listening to them. Thanks for the suggestion about The Budos Band, man, I don't know how I have missed these guys but after listening to them for a while on youtube....they DEFINATELY have a new fan here. They were not exactly what I was looking for but are a step in the right direction. They DO provide that kind of inspiration I need as far as their bari sax stylings are concerned. I'll be listening to a lot of them in the future.
 
#9 ·
Ronnie Cuber is a very versatile musician, lending (blending) his burning bari voice in Latin or more funky surroundings. He plays on Benson's first albums recorded end of 60s "Cooking" and "Uptown". Check out some of his own albums like "The Scene is Clean" or "Two Brothers" (with D. Sanborn) which aren't typical "straight bop".
Furthermore he appears on Randy Brecker's "34th N Lex", with some solos in a hip-hop influenced setting. Hope it helps.
 
#10 ·
John Surman is your man. He has recorded many albums with his own synthesisers as backing. He also uses bass clarinet and soprano.
He sounds exactly what you are looking for...most of his early ECM stuff is like that. Check Youtube for examples. This is his bass clarinet but he plays lots of bari ones with ambient backing. The second one is baritone





Another option the band Morphine.
 
#15 ·
Hi dexdex,
Thanx for the suggestions. I like ronnie's playing. I was digging the sounds with Benson on uptown. I only wish he could break free of that 50's combo sound for backing. Don't get me wrong, I have great appreciation for this sound. For me timbre is like color for a painter. Many great sketches have been done in charcoal or ink ( that's how I hear the basic piano, drums, bass, horn combo). I am really looking for something with bold COLORS and bari sax as the lead voice. Maybe it hasn't been done much yet, I have yet to hear it. I have heard it done with tenor and soprano.... I will continue to check this guy out, He does some really cool stuff.
 
#16 ·
I am really looking for something with bold COLORS and bari sax as the lead voice.
I think you're asking for something outside of any established tradition. Yes, there are a few examples as recommended above, but they're going to be exceptions to every rule about bari, about fusion, about synth/electronic...For whatever reason, the one didn't appeal to people who were into the other. Doesn't mean it's like putting pickle relish on your chocolate cake, but it does mean people will assume it's like that.
 
#17 ·
I think I get your point. Keep Ronnie Cuber (or whoever), but remove the bopish songs and bands. Like paulwl, I think there is no established band and/or tradition like that. So it will be easy to innovate, maybe less easy to have success.
It is true that the big horn has quite a potential of sound which hasn't been used that much. Cuber's work with the Brecker Bros goes in that direction.

The Groove Collective is probably what comes the closest, with those numbers where Ray Rodriguez plays the bari. Check "Jay Wrestles the Bari Constrictor". Used to listen to them a lot.
In the 80s, there was that british blues-hip-hopish band called "Juke" where the bari played a central role :
 
#21 ·
Nice, there's some great stuff on here. I'd like to add a plug for Scott Robinson. He's probably more known for playing every crazy instrument under the sun, but also plays bari a lot with Maria Schneider's group. He has a killer, decidedly non-bop solo on the song "Scenes from Childhood Part 1: Bombshelter Beast" with great backing chords and a theremin (which he also plays). I think someone broke the song into parts on YouTube too. I was blown away by his massive sound when I saw him live - strongly recommended if you're looking for tone-inspiration.
 
#24 ·
Glad you enjoyed it - I am grateful for any music he recorded.

Here is a clip with speaker voice in Swedish.


The person talking was involved in a recording session with Lars Gullin and describes what happened on the day of recording.
"The orchestra was getting ready to record but Lars Gullin was not there. I was told that Lars was not in the best shape and was getting vitamin injections at the hospital. Then as we were just about ready to record Lars enters the room and picks up his bari ... and plays brillliantly"

"Lars Gullin was such that you could give him a piece of music and he would immediately understand the theme/core of it. But then he would go on and develop the music evolve it, creating a totally new piece of music on the go while he was improvising and he would not fall back to cliches at any time. There are very few musicians that can do this"
 
#27 ·
Listen to Gary Smulyan's album Smul's Paradise! some great tracks, it was released this year
 
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