Rock And Roll Sax- The Last Ten Years-Who's Interesting

**Neil Sharpe** · 09-21-2003, 01:24 PM

We've had a lot of interesting discussion about great songs and sax players from the past. What about more recently, say the last ten years. One song of note is "Superstar" by K-os featuring a great repetitive sax riff by Bill Runge that stitches everything together.

Also, in the early nineties, I heard some great sax work on a song with the lyrics "had enough of your politics, had enough of your dirty little tricks, now we're out on the dance floor having a ball." Of course, the radio announcer didn't tell who did the track and I never heard it again -despite some heavy looking- but the sax was great and memorable.

Any rock sax work in the last ten years that has caught your ear?

Frank D · 09-21-2003, 02:24 PM

The group Morphine comes to mind as a recent innovative use of bari sax in rock. I can't cite specific songs or solos, but everything of theirs that I heard really had a rock feel, w/o veering into other genres, and the playing was good.

**Neil Sharpe** · 09-21-2003, 06:40 PM

John Laughter kindly has pointed out that there are four different versions of Superstar available. The one I'm referring to is Superstar Part Zero which has a short, repetitive but very effective sax riff.

**John Laughter** · 09-21-2003, 07:45 PM

Excellent subject! Good to finally see some conversation about recent players. The following selections are strickly Billboard Top 40 hits and does reflect all of the various forms of music that is on the market so if you can name other Top 40 hits from other styles please let us know. I am submitting the list only as a starting point. I do not know much about the present hip hop, blues, country, rap and adult contemporary scene so let us know what is going on with the sax players.

Of course we are not just talking about Top 40 hits but I would like to add more songs to my project which shows a big decline in the use of sax "solos" in pop music over the past 10 years. The most popular use of sax solos (in terms of numbers) on Top 40 hits appear to be the 50s and 60s with some good years in the 70s. I would also like to know about Top 40 hits from other countries. I have heard some very interesting U.K. hits. If any board members would like an updated list of "The History of Top 40 Saxophone Solos-1955-1998" (this will probably change to 2003 after I confirm "Superstar" chart position) drop an email to JSAXL@aol.com

1993

#25 BY THE TIME THIS NIGHT IS OVER -PEABO BRYSON- KENNY G- SOPRANO

#18 FOREVER IN LOVE-KENNY G KENNY G - SOPRANO

#9 I DON’T WANNA FIGHT-TINA TURNER- TIMMY CAPPELLO- TENOR

#8 I’LL NEVER GET OVER YOU (GETTING OVER ME)- EXPOSE DAVE KOZ- ALTO

#11 (UK)INDEPENDANCE-LULU- STEVE BEIGHTON- ALTO

#1 TELL ME WHAT YOU DREAM-RESTLESS HEART-
WARREN HILL -ALTO

1994

#6 BABY, I LOVE YOUR WAY-BIG MOUNTAIN-
BRANDON FIELDS - ALTO

#1 I SWEAR-ALL-4-ONE - “REV” DAVE BORUFF- ALTO

#34 MOVING ON UP-M PEOPLE - CHRIS “SNAKE” DAVIS- TENOR

#5 WHY HAVEN’T I HEARD FROM YOU-
REBA MCNTIRE- JOE MCGLOHON- TENOR

1995

#22 WHAT WOULD YOU SAY-DAVE MATTHEWS BAND- LEROI MOORE- ALTO

1996

#38 (UK) A NIGHT TO REMEMBER-911- STEVE BEIGHTON- TENOR

#8 FASTLOVE-GEORGE MICHAEL- ANDY HAMILTON- TENOR

#39 TOO MUCH-DAVE MATTHEWS BAND- LEROI MOORE- BARITONE

1997

#6 EVERY TIME I CLOSE MY EYES-BABYFACE- KENNY G- SOPRANO

#1 (UK)PERFECT DAY-VARIOUS ARTISTS- COURTNEY PINE- SOPRANO

#23 THE IMPRESSION THAT I GET-
THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES- KEVIN LENEAR- TENOR
Tim Burton(Saxophone)
Kevin Lenear(Saxophone)
Roman Flysher(Saxophone, replacement for Kevin Lenear)

1998

#5 I’LL BE-EDWIN MCCAIN- CRAIG SHIELDS- TENOR

**John Laughter** · 09-21-2003, 08:26 PM

BTW, two "non-Top 40" selections that get a lot of sax attention;

1989 Glenn Frey-Livin’ Right-tenor-Bill Bergman
George Thorogood-Bad To The Bone—Hank “Hurricane” Carter—Alto. Year unknown but fairly recent.

Tim Price · 09-22-2003, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Laughter

Excellent subject! Good to finally see some conversation about recent players.

I agree 100% John L. AMEN.

Steve Berlin w/ Los Lobos....tho ya gotta hear them live to hear him soloing. He is killin'.

Mike Ruhl · 09-22-2003, 01:24 PM

(waiting for billmecca...)
Don't forget Sax Gordon and Andrew Clark. And these guys up in the Netherlands: http://home.planet.nl/~vrie0796/

Tim Price · 09-22-2003, 01:37 PM

BORIS VANDERLEK..another Dutch guy whos in the same bag.
Great player.

Btw way I heard those two guys @North Sea in 2002.Kiers & De Vries
They are products of Hans Dulfer 8)
Kinda like inspired by etc. Huge fonky sounds. Very enjoyable.

There's a great tenor guy who plays with Andrew-Scotty Shetler.
Aka-Scottywotty. Burning player.
ALL...those guys should be better known. Sadly there is a slow-up on "road gigs" via national circuit so its COOL that they are being mentioned here. 8) ( gracias~Mike )

Andrew Clarke is great.

**John Laughter** · 09-23-2003, 11:05 AM

Quote:

And these guys up in the Netherlands

Wouldn't it be fine to play with a band like that!

Tim Price · 09-23-2003, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Laughter

Quote:

And these guys up in the Netherlands

Wouldn't it be fine to play with a band like that!

John- those guys are very happening players. Very influenced by Dutch
sax master Hans Dulfer. The vibe ( eg- look, image) is also very much something they got from Dulfers inspiration.
Musically ditto- HUGE wild screamin' sounds over GROoVES 8)

Why-there isn't more of this going on in this country I'll never know.Its danceable, very modern, FUN and the audience in Holland etc loves it.
Great players and...guys having fun on their horns and MAKING some nice Euros 8)
That's real fine...very fine.

**Neil Sharpe** · 09-25-2003, 03:13 PM

Superstar, superstar, wherefore art thou superstar.

Apparently not in K'os' Superstar Part Zero. In an e-mail to John Laughter, Bill Runge writes that the riff is actually a keyboard sampled riff and he had nothing to do with it! However, that is Bill on sax and trumpet in Superstar Part 1 and Part 0.

HonkBopSax · 09-25-2003, 04:02 PM

Speakign of Sax Gordon...we had an interesting conversation regarding what exactly honking is...and the fact that most 'blues' sax players these days don't have a sense of the history of the music. A guy like Eddie Shaw knew how to fit in behind Magic Sam, play inventive riffs, then step out, get the job done on his solo, and get to 'fitting in'. Nowadays, it seems like there is no sense of restraint, or at least understanding, of the music. SO you've got the wild honkers, ala Big Jay, Joe Houston, etc...the 'sophisticated' honkers (or jazzy honkers) like Red prysock, Al Sears, Arnett Cobb, etc. And then the Chicago blues guys like Eddie Shaw, JT Brown, Eddie Chamblee, etc.

Bill Mecca · 10-02-2003, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Ruhl

(waiting for billmecca...)
Don't forget Sax Gordon and Andrew Clark. And these guys up in the Netherlands: http://home.planet.nl/~vrie0796/

Happy to see someone keeping an eye out for me (great vacation with the family to DisneyWorld) haven't touched the horn in two weeks (ouch!) but this is a great topic.

A very important one to many of us as well. Tim has hit on a few of my faves, Andrew Clark, Scott Shetler but as he says it's sad that there aren't more bands like Kiers & De Vries on this side of the pond. Maybe there are, but we just aren't hearing about them.

Are there others out there? if not, maybe we should follow Kiers and DeVries and get a fonky groove on ;-)

**John Laughter** · 10-02-2003, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Are there others out there?

Bill, probably but I would imagine very few. I believe that in the U.S. the majority of people want familar dance and sing-a-long selections at most of the good paying gigs such as wedding receptions, corporate parties and such. When we stray away from the basic "music for the people" we tend to loose money and the crowd. I have seen that happen in the club scene as well.

I am sure we have isolated pockets where people go to see these good bands because they like the style of the music. I know our area does not have these bands. If there are any in Atlanta I would like to know about them.

DougL · 10-02-2003, 11:40 PM

What about Walt Parazaider with Chicago? Most of what he's done with Chicago has been playing with their trumpet and trombone players. But in all those recordings there's got to be a few standout sax solos.

**Neil Sharpe** · 10-03-2003, 12:09 AM

Although not within the last ten years, during the 1980's the group Martha and the Muffins (a.k.a. M&M) displayed some interesting sax work by Andy Haas, Ron Allen, Wayne Mills, and especially John Oswald who developed some truly creative and inventive approaches. Of course, I'd be remiss in not also mentioning guitarist Michael Brooks who later produced several albums with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

**Neil Sharpe** · 10-20-2003, 07:01 PM

Check out the great sax work of John Ferreira with the Colin James Band.

The 1990's album Colin James and the Little Big Band includes some wonderful numbers including the instrumental Boogie Twist II (not to be missed!) and Surely (I Love You), a modern return to the jump blues style.

Vader · 10-20-2003, 09:30 PM

Hey John,
Isn't that "I swear" solo on Tenor? Sometimes I have a little trouble distinguishing between alto and tenor though.....
I really like that guy's playing. I think I heard him on tenor on something else too(a few years later). I can't remember what tune though. Thanks for mentioning him. Now I can go hunting for some of his recordings.

**John Laughter** · 10-21-2003, 03:19 AM

#1 I SWEAR-ALL-4-ONE - “REV” DAVE BORUFF- ALTO

Quote:

Isn't that "I swear" solo on Tenor?

Vader, it is interesting that you should ask that because of another song that I questioned Dave about when I confirmed all of his hits that are listed in "The History of Top 40 Saxophone Solos-1955-2003".

I questioned him about the following which may give some insight about what your ears hear;

#15 LOVE THEME FROM ST. ELMO’S FIRE—
DAVID FOSTER-“REV” DAVE BORUFF - ALTO

Quote:

“Over the years, many people have been surprised to find out that a particular solo I did was performed on alto when they assumed it was played on tenor. I believe that this was due more to the tone being somewhat more “tenor-like” than a “regular” alto (whatever that means), rather than the range I played it in....just in case you’re interested”... revDAVE

I really like that tone on his short but very effective solo on "I Swear"! BTW, Dave's credits take up two pages in the book. He has done it all.

http://www.musenet.com/home/daveboruff/index.cfm

Vader · 10-21-2003, 05:01 PM

Wow. That's crazy. I would have sworn

that that was tenor.
It even sounds like an altissimo "B" on the 4th note of that solo.
I always assumed that the first four notes were C# E E B.....
I never played along with it though. I always heard it when I was in the car.
I like the way this guy plays.
Thanks for the info.