BillF Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I'm very pleased to have found a used copy of Supersax's Stone Bird. I already have Supersax Plays Bird, Chasin' the Bird, Dynamite!, The Japanese Tour and Live in '75: the Japanese Tour Vol 2. Is anyone else a fan of this band? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Yep - I quite like the 'Salt Peanuts' LP. Had that one for many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunky Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Interesting LPs, I have Salt Peanuts and their debut LP. The obvious question is Where's Warne. Unlike the "Where's Wally" books there seems no chance to even glimpse his genius!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted January 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Interesting LPs, I have Salt Peanuts and their debut LP. The obvious question is Where's Warne. Unlike the "Where's Wally" books there seems no chance to even glimpse his genius!! Warne gets four solos on the Japanese tour albums, in which the guys get to blow more than in the studio sessions, where solos are largely taken by trumpet or trombone: Conte Candoli, Blue Mitchell or Frank Rosolino, according to the album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValerieB Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I'm very pleased to have found a used copy of Supersax's Stone Bird. I already have Supersax Plays Bird, Chasin' the Bird, Dynamite!, The Japanese Tour and Live in '75: the Japanese Tour Vol 2. Is anyone else a fan of this band? i'm definitely a fan of this band, especially from the early '70s. in fact, i missed a performance the other night at a local L.A. club where the latest incarnation of this group played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted January 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I'm very pleased to have found a used copy of Supersax's Stone Bird. I already have Supersax Plays Bird, Chasin' the Bird, Dynamite!, The Japanese Tour and Live in '75: the Japanese Tour Vol 2. Is anyone else a fan of this band? i'm definitely a fan of this band, especially from the early '70s. in fact, i missed a performance the other night at a local L.A. club where the latest incarnation of this group played. Who's in the latest incarnation of the group? Lanny Morgan still there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 The two I have feature Joe Williams and Sweets Edison as "guest soloist". Good music I haven't re-visited in a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValerieB Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I'm very pleased to have found a used copy of Supersax's Stone Bird. I already have Supersax Plays Bird, Chasin' the Bird, Dynamite!, The Japanese Tour and Live in '75: the Japanese Tour Vol 2. Is anyone else a fan of this band? i'm definitely a fan of this band, especially from the early '70s. in fact, i missed a performance the other night at a local L.A. club where the latest incarnation of this group played. Who's in the latest incarnation of the group? Lanny Morgan still there? can't tell you all the names but i do know that Lanny Morgan is still there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 I often get "Supersax" and "Shadowfax" confused in name only. Apologies to the participants of the first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Yep - I quite like the 'Salt Peanuts' LP. Had that one for many years. "Salt Peanuts" is where I heard Carl Fontana for the first time, when I was in high school- I memorized his solos on the title cut, Confirmation and Yardbird Suite. I remember thinking that THAT was the way I thought jazz trombone should sound- smooth and swinging. It totally changed my life, I was inpired and really started to work hard to learn to play the instrument with that relaxed grace, melody and swing that he demonstrated. Of course, I also love the SS recordings with Rosolino- his solo on All The Things You Are on the strings album is a classic. I always wanted the saxes to blow, since there were several stellar soloists like Warne and Lanny. I assume they got to stretch a bit more on the live gigs. One interesting thing about those arrangements is that the bari and alto are usually playing the same line (Bird's) an octave apart (hence the arranging term "Supersax voicing" aka "closed position"). The inner parts- the 2nd alto and the two tenors- were the tougher lines to learn because they contain the harmony notes, which don't always have the melodic flow of the lead lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIS Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 If you're interested in acquiring these long out-of-print arrangements (seven in all), I can help guide you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 (edited) Yep - I quite like the 'Salt Peanuts' LP. Had that one for many years. "Salt Peanuts" is where I heard Carl Fontana for the first time, when I was in high school- I memorized his solos on the title cut, Confirmation and Yardbird Suite. I remember thinking that THAT was the way I thought jazz trombone should sound- smooth and swinging. It totally changed my life Fontana's solos were the thing that really grabbed me about this album too. Incredible fluency - I was dabbling in the 'bone' at the time and this (along with the various Candoli/Rosolino albums of the time)caused the ears to peak up big time. Edited January 18, 2008 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomastreichler Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 The two I have feature Joe Williams and Sweets Edison as "guest soloist". Good music I haven't re-visited in a long time. As far as I know there are no recordings of Joe Williams and Harry Edison with Supersax, but there are with Dave Pell's "Prez Conference", a group recreating the solos of Lester Young harmonized for three tenor- and one baritone-saxophone. May be you are confusing these two groups. As for Supersax I have "Plays Bird" (Capitol 1972), "The Japanese Tour" (Hindsight 1975), "Chasin' The Bird" (MPS 1977), "Stone Bird" (Columbia 1989) and an interesting one not yet mentioned "Supersax & LA Voices" (Columbia 1983). My favorite is "Chasin' The Bird" featuring Blue Mitchell, Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Lou Levy and Jake Hanna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 D'OH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I've just received True Blue's catalog which includes Lee Katzman Meets Supersax: "Trumpeter Katzman is the main soloist and wrote 6 of the 11 tunes on this 1982 collaboration with Supersax." Anyone heard this one? What are the other 5 tunes? Can you recommend it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I've just received True Blue's catalog which includes Lee Katzman Meets Supersax: "Trumpeter Katzman is the main soloist and wrote 6 of the 11 tunes on this 1982 collaboration with Supersax." Anyone heard this one? What are the other 5 tunes? Can you recommend it? See my reply in the Lee Katzman thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I've just received True Blue's catalog which includes Lee Katzman Meets Supersax: "Trumpeter Katzman is the main soloist and wrote 6 of the 11 tunes on this 1982 collaboration with Supersax." Anyone heard this one? What are the other 5 tunes? Can you recommend it? See my reply in the Lee Katzman thread. Many thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 sorry dudes & dudettes, never dug this perverse nonjazz jazz museum when new, less so now that I know they were wasting warne Marsh's talents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 sorry dudes & dudettes, never dug this perverse nonjazz jazz museum when new, less so now that I know they were wasting warne Marsh's talents FWIW, Marsh isn't on this one. Katzman is the main attraction, although Jimmy Rowles is just fine on piano. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldonm Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 I'm very pleased to have found a used copy of Supersax's Stone Bird. I already have Supersax Plays Bird, Chasin' the Bird, Dynamite!, The Japanese Tour and Live in '75: the Japanese Tour Vol 2. Is anyone else a fan of this band? i'm definitely a fan of this band, especially from the early '70s. in fact, i missed a performance the other night at a local L.A. club where the latest incarnation of this group played. Who's in the latest incarnation of the group? Lanny Morgan still there? I saw them this past October...Lanny is still there and of course....Med Flory. Here is a shot of Med from that show....nice guy...and funny! m~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjzee Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 I wonder why Blue Note (EMI - Capitol first released them) hasn't released any of these on CD; they sold well upon first release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quasimado Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 sorry dudes & dudettes, never dug this perverse nonjazz jazz museum when new, less so now that I know they were wasting warne Marsh's talents That's pretty harsh. Unfortunately, for some reason the saxes (certainly Marsh) don't solo on the studio recordings. However live, this was a hell of a band, a bunch of fine musicians who loved, understood and could play Bird's music ... which is real "musicians" music, a joy and a challenge to play... that's why they did it. Live they would do the heads and Birds solos, and then the featured saxes would solo, usually for at least two choruses, often more. As most admirers of Marsh's music know, there are lots of tapes out there of Warne with this band that are unbelievable. Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabshakeh Posted November 20, 2023 Report Share Posted November 20, 2023 Reviving this very long-dead thread. I see Supersax records everywhere on the London second hand market. They must have been very popular (in late 70s jazz terms). Recent trips to the US Mid West, Singapore and France have indicated that this popularity must have been widespread because they are one of the few constants across second hand vinyl shopping in all four markets. I have been listening to the records over the past three or four years and I really never understand to the appeal. The group seems to me to be very tight laced, (despite the name) it has no saxophone solos, and the whole concept is just replaying Parker solos that I already enjoy. What was it that thrilled the crowds? I should add that I am genuinely interested to know. This is not just an attack on a long departed group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted November 20, 2023 Report Share Posted November 20, 2023 Big bands! A good sax section is a winner by default, and they were that. But a one trick pony is what it is, and they were also that. Let it speak to the diversity of what was then the "jazz audience". Plenty of room for plenty of things for plenty of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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