Favourite brass/Woodwind players

[thenagus]

Who are your favourite Brass/WW players?

As a trombone player, I'll start by mentioning trombonist Fred Wesley. Unless you're really into funk, you probably won't know his name, but will likley have heard him. He started off with James Brown, right back in the early days, the only trombonist. Not only was he a bandmember, but he was JB's right-hand man. He arranged pretty much all the parts, co-composed and composed a bunch of stuff, acted as producer, etc. Papa's got a brand new bag, I feel good, etc etc- all arranged by Fred. If you've ever heard a trombone on a JB rcord, that's probably Fred.
After that, like Maceo Parker (JBs sax man), he went on to play with George Clinton. Hear any trombone on a P-funk recording- that's Fred. (He aso did all the horn arrangements for P-funk.) After that, he also played in various P-funk and JB related groups. he P-funk `horny horns` has one or two albums of thier own, as did `the JB horns`. He's also on most Maceo Parker albums along with Pewee Ellis, and also spend a long time with the Count Basie orchestra. And, of course, there are a number of solo albums.

As a trombone player, I find it easy to play gently, but hard to play agressively and fast, which is what Fred exells at. Damn funky man. If there's any trombone/horn players out there that like funk, I seriously reccomend you listen to some of his stuff.


... now your turn :D

[quilt_top]

Boots Randolph is the reason I picked up the sax. After hearing 'Yakety Sax', I was hooked.

I like listening to David Sanborn too but watching him play is a different story. His off center embouchure (sp?) is too distracting for me. :)

[Jon Hiller]

There are many sax players I like. I really like Eddie Daniels' clarinet work. Blackwood is a fantastic album.

[sunburstbasser]

Jesse McGuire-Trumpet player for the Tower of Power live album Soul Vaccination. Thats my favorite ToP album, and the trumpet playing is very inspiring to me.

Jeff Coffin-Sax/flute/clarinet for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. I just love his playing so much, it never lets up!.

Scott Thornberg-Really excellent classical trumpet player. I don't know if he actually has any records out, but my trumpet teacher knows him, and gave me some recordings.

[Chucksweet]

Originally posted by quilt_top
Boots Randolph is the reason I picked up the sax. After hearing 'Yakety Sax', I was hooked.

I like listening to David Sanborn too but watching him play is a different story. His off center embouchure (sp?) is too distracting for me. :)

I am totally with you on Boots. He is a simply amazing player, but he gets no credit because he played all of the "popular/corny" songs.

It happens that Boots was also my inspiration and I am happy to say he has become a pretty good friend through the years. He played at my wedding 6 years ago and then last fall I got to play live with him and our Philharmonic Orchestra...what a rush!!!!

He turns 79 next month and he still blows like a friggin monster. I went to see him 3 weeks ago as he was recording a new JAZZ album. It was unbelievable...he was doing stuff in 1 take that would blow your mind.

Chuck

[Chucksweet]

Originally posted by sunburstbasser
Jesse McGuire-Trumpet player for the Tower of Power live album Soul Vaccination. Thats my favorite ToP album, and the trumpet playing is very inspiring to me.



Jesse was great - I saw him many times. He used to shoot flames out his bell when he soloed..that always "won" the crowd. He had amazing stage presence.

The other amazing Tower alumni is the unbelievable Lenny Pickett. He is the Tenor player that played most of their hits and today he is the musical director for Saturday Night Live. He is the one playing all the stratospheric altissimo stuff as they go to commercials.
whew!!!

[sunburstbasser]

Originally posted by Chucksweet



Jesse was great - I saw him many times. He used to shoot flames out his bell when he soloed..that always "won" the crowd. He had amazing stage presence.

The other amazing Tower alumni is the unbelievable Lenny Pickett. He is the Tenor player that played most of their hits and today he is the musical director for Saturday Night Live. He is the one playing all the stratospheric altissimo stuff as they go to commercials.
whew!!!

My reasoning is, if he came out of Tower, he is definately great!:thu:

I don't think there has ever been a less-than-stellar player in the ToP horn section.

[catalinagoose]

Being a trumpet player, ya gotta love Maynard Ferguson. I believe he's 78 years old and still playing and touring.

I have a poster advertising a Maynard Ferguson concert I went to back in '77. I had Maynard and the whole band sign it. Peter Erskine was the drummer then. Also, Stan Mark was lead trumpet. Killer band :cool:

[AntiStuff]

Trumpet: Don Cherry, he played for Ornet Coleman and his solo stuff is wild.

Sax: Gato Barbierri, Played for Don Cherry on "Complete Communion" -AMAZING ALBUM

Trombone: Gotta go with a kid I played with in high school, Clayton Dewalt. He has the best tone ever, like it's got electricity flowing through it. He's also so good that he was better than our band director when he was in 10th grade. (Our director went to states on trombone when he was in high school). I know he's been playing in some bands down in Disney World and I'm pretty sure he's gonna end up somewhere big in the jazz scene.

[EvilThatMenDo]

being a flute player and woodwind freak, i love Ian Anderson because he made it cool to play the flute. I really enjoy Doulgas Blue Feather because his natice American flute playing is inspiring and virtuosic (sp?). R. Carlos Nakai is another great Native American Flautist. OOOOOh i almost forgot....go to youtube.com and search Brad White. this guy is phenomenal. he is a woodwind virtuoso who plays pan-pipes and other instruments. he is just incredible. www.pan-flute.com has more of his music ans videos.

[sunburstbasser]

Sergei Nakariokov is another good one, 24 year old Russian classical trumpeter. I don't know if he plays any jazz, but he is better at classical than Wynton Marsallis.

[soundministries]

Being a tuba player I'll have to go with Gene Pokorny and Arnold Jacobs, Steven Mead on Euphonium, and just about any of the big band tromones (preferably bass bone).

[sunburstbasser]

What do you think of Patrick Sheridan, on tuba? I played a gig with him last year and attended a breathing clinic he hosted. Really cool guy!

[soundministries]

Originally posted by sunburstbasser
What do you think of Patrick Sheridan, on tuba? I played a gig with him last year and attended a breathing clinic he hosted. Really cool guy!

Haven't heard Sheridan play, but did attend a breathing clinic a few months ago. Fantatstic clinic. I plan on buying the DVD this summer. Can you recomend any recordings to listen to?

[sunburstbasser]

I bought his album Lollipops, its pretty good.

His album Bon Bons has some good pieces too. We played The Hot Canary when he was here, and its really something to hear a tubist matching clarinets in pitch!

[earspasm]

Pat was my roommate in 1988. He had amazing chops back then too, but was less into the "pops" tuba stuff. He was working out his orchestral excerpt chops and we all thought he was going that route. By far -- far -- the best Tuba player I've ever known.

-Lowenstern

[sunburstbasser]

Originally posted by earspasm
Pat was my roommate in 1988. He had amazing chops back then too, but was less into the "pops" tuba stuff. He was working out his orchestral excerpt chops and we all thought he was going that route. By far -- far -- the best Tuba player I've ever known.

-Lowenstern

Oh my! Thats incredible!:eek:

He played with us because our band director-his old teacher from WAY back when-was retiring. Bill Winkle. He got Pat in for a retirement concert.

[Childermass]

It's always been about Charlie Parker for me.

[chunkathalon]

John Zorn on sax...

[plastictrophy]

giving myself away as a clarinet player...

jazz? eddie daniels by far. also, eric dolphy. bass clarinet jazz is cool.
classical? reginald kell. sabine meyer.

[y-o-y]

Originally posted by chunkathalon
John Zorn on sax...

Wasn't he the quarterback for the Seahawks in teh 70's and 80's :D

My all-time favorite horn player is Clifford Brown. Chet Atkins comes in a distant second.

[sunburstbasser]

Hmm...

Listening to some Shorty Rogers. Love the flugel!

[Timothy Scags]

On sax, I'd have to go with:

The only Blues saxophonist is Edgar Winter. The solo on Tobacco Road off the White Trash Roadwork live album is absolutely phenomenal.

In jazz, Gerry Mulligan, Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, "Chu" Berry, Michael Brecker,Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, John Klemmer, Coleman Hawkins, Yusef Lateef, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Charlie Parker, Zoot Sims and Gato Barbieri.

In strictly rock, Chris Wood from Traffic, Sonny Keyes from the Stones, Clarence Clemens, Danny Ray, Walter Parazaider,Steve MacKay, John Linnell and Ralph Carney.

[aaronzarzutzki]

at the moment ive been listening to alot of nmperign its an improv duo of greg kelley (trumpet) and bhob rainey (sax)

really incredible acoustic textures produced with alot of "extended techniques"

[ninjaaron]

I dig Steve Gorn on the bansuri, and Jonnie Madden rocks a mean Irish whistle. Herbie Mann is pretty sweet on the regular (Bohem) flute.

[Tedster]

Junior Walker. Nothin' complex...just pure soul.

[777Brad]

I'm purely a jazzer, but since I went to Berklee, that's no big surprise.

There were lots of greats in the jazz world, but some of the ones we studied at Berklee have become my favorites;

Trumpet - Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw

Sax - I just really like Coltrane

Brad

[rerun]

I really like Doc Severinsen on trumpet. He is very creative but still never loses the melody. I understand he is retiring next year and moving to Mexico. I think he is almost 80. He defines pressureless playing. I have heard he could hit a high C with his trumpet hanging from a string.

[GZsound]

You guys are lucky. I don't have a favorite sax player. Or rather there are simply too many to list.

One sax player I relate to more than just about any other is Jay Beckenstein from Spyro Gyra. My wife even told me the reason I liked him so much is because I sound like him.. although I don't think so.

But there are a ton of great sax players out there..