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25 Great (Rock) Sax Solos

41K views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  bfahle 
#1 · (Edited)
This is a book by Eric J. Morones of transcriptions of 25 Great Sax Solos. The author currently tours with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and seems to have a lot of personal knowledge of some of these solos.

Each solo is accompanied by a page or two of text giving the bio of the soloist, as well as some background on the solo itself and some tips for playing it. Growls, flutter tongue, and altissimo are all described in detail, along with some good altissimo fingerings, or alternate fingerings for various "tricks". It also gives the artist's setup when known. There is a picture of each artist and the band when available.

Complete transcriptions in the key of the original recording appear for each solo, although there may be other parts of the song where the horns are playing which are not included in the transcription. Each solo is annotated with where to use the various effects such as growl.

This is by no means a beginner's book, because just about all the solos are difficult, but if you work at it, there is enough there to shed on for a long time. Each solo is demonstrated on an accompanying CD, which just plays the part of the song with the solo, and there is no track WITHOUT the sax, which would have been helpful.

The complete list of the 25 solos follows (listed as they are in the book, in chronological order):
Tequila by The Champs featuring Chuck Rio on Tenor in G (concert F).
Yakety Yak by The Coasters featuring King Curtis on Tenor in D (concert C).
Take Five by the Dave Brubeck Quartet featuring Paul Desmond on Alto in G minor (concert Bb minor)
Yakety Sax by Boots Randolf on Tenor in D (concert C)
Shotgun by Junior Walker on Tenor in Bb (concert Ab)
Respect by Aretha Franklin featuring King Curtis on Tenor in G#minor (concert F# minor)
Spooky by The Classics IV featuring Mike Sharp/Shapiro on Tenor in G blues (concert F blues) written in one flat.
Mercy Mercy Me by Marvin Gaye featuring Wild Bill Moore on Tenor in G (F concert)
Money by Pink Floyd featuring Dick Parry on Tenor in C#minor (B minor concert)
How Sweet It Is by James Taylor featuring David Sanborn on Alto in E (Concert D) odd, because a lot of guitar tabs show this one in C
Pick Up The Pieces by the Average White Band featuring Malcom "Molly" Duncan on Tenor in C (Bb concert)
Takin' It to the Streets by The Doobie Brothers featuring Andrew Love on Tenor in D (actually concert F in mixolydian mode)
Deacon Blues by Steely Dan featuring Pete Christlieb on Tenor in A (concert G)
Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel featuring Phil Woods on Alto in B (concert D)
The Logical Song by Supertramp featuring John Helliwell on Alto in A minor (Concert C minor)
After the Love Has Gone by Earth, Wind & Fire featuring Don Myrick on Alto in Eb (concert C#, probably a relative minor instead)
Just the Two of Us by Grover Washington, Jr. on Tenor in Bb (Concert Ab again probably a mode of F)
Urgent by Foreigner featuring Junior Walker on Tenor in F# minor (concert E minor)
Waiting on a Friend by The Rolling Stones featuring Sonny Rollins on Tenor in D and C (Concert C and Bb)
True by Spandau Ballet, featuring Steve Norman on Tenor in F (Concert Eb)
Maneater by Hall & Oates featuring Charlie DeChamt on Tenor in C#minor (Concert B minor)
Caribbean Queen by Billy Ocean featuring V. Jeffrey Smith on Tenor in E minor (Concert D minor)
One Heartbeat by Smokey Robinson featuring Kenny G on Alto in E (Concert D)
(I've Had) The Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes featuring Gary Herbig on Tenor in F# (concert E)
Lily Was Here by Dave Stewart and Candy Dulfer on Alto in C#minor (concert E minor)

Again, Lily was Here gives just the extended solo, not the head for the song nor the guitar echo part. She has a full transcription of this on her site anyway.

Link again:
25 Great Sax Solos
 
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#3 ·
Re: 25 Great Sax Solos

Yes they are mostly Rock & Roll songs, and with all the bends, growls, and flutter-tounging involved, it certainly would not be considered jazz.
 
#4 ·
Re: 25 Great Sax Solos

My friend borrowed this book from me about two months ago and has yet to give it back!

I'm itching to get back to urgent.

The rhythms in Lilly Was Here are fairly difficult so it's nice to see it written out.
There's a section right near the beginning where she does this chromatic down to the A (for alto) and then takes it up the octave. I've started doing that on minor tunes lately cause of her.
 
#14 ·
If you look through the list I put "on Alto" or "on Tenor" on each transcription. The music in the book is written in the appropriate key transposed for that instrument, based on the original recording mentioned above. Sometimes songs are re-recorded in different keys, etc., so there you have it. Sometimes it's hard for me anyway to tell what key something is in, particularly from just the solo, but what I try to do is stick to the sharps and flats of this particular book, and give a key appropriate to that (major or minor).

So if you just have an alto, you would be able to play about half the songs in the book; likewise tenor.

Of course, this being Rock & Roll, you'll probably also want to get this book.
 
#15 ·
So if you just have an alto, you would be able to play about half the songs in the book; likewise tenor.
You could conceivably learn the songs in the wrong key for the instrument just for the purpose of seeing which note choices the player was using.

The key won't be right but you'll know the passages/ fingerings all the same.
 
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