Saxophonists who switch to other saxophones

[BillF]

I've just been listening to Lee Konitz's Inside Hi-Fi, which includes a session with him on tenor. Interesting! I love the two Bird sessions where he switches to tenor and Ornette on Tenor, of course, as well as Art Pepper's forays on tenor. The other day on "Bebop Spoken Here" from KBCS Bellevue, Seattle I heard Sonny Stitt on baritone for the first time. Far less technique, but still unmistakably Stitt! The session where Getz and Mulligan swap horns isn't well spoken of, so I haven't bought that one. It's an interesting experience to hear a saxophonist you know well on a different saxophone. Any thoughts on, or examples of, this phenomenon?

Edited February 15, 2008 by BillF

[AndrewHill]

Very well documented instances of Shorter and Trane on Soprano. And at least one instance of Trane on Alto such as this cover photo indicates:

[AndrewHill]

There's also Brotz, Braxton and Kirk.

[JSngry]

Trane started on alto. You can hear him on the Navy band dates ("circulating among collectors") pre-tenor, and/or on a Prestige Gene Ammons date, post-tenor.

There's a Don Menza date on Palo Alto where Sal Nestico plays tenor & Menza mostly plays alto & bari. His bari playing is nice.

In general, I tend to prefer "florid" type players on larger rather than smaller horns. In general, mind you. Sometimes there's too much "style" over "substance" and the bigger sonic/tonal vibrational/aural space soaks up the overflow, like eating bread with greasy food to make it sit better on the stomach.

Edited February 15, 2008 by JSngry

[Swinging Swede]

Jackie McLean, tenor

Benny Carter, tenor

Johnny Hodges, soprano

Charlie Barnet, soprano

Jimmy Heath, alto (if it counts as switching; I think it was his main instrument in the early years)

Doesn't Coleman Hawkins take a baritone or bass sax solo on a Fletcher Henderson recording? I think he does, although I can't remember on what tune.

There is one recorded solo of Chu Berry playing the baritone sax too.

Edited February 15, 2008 by Swinging Swede

[AndrewHill]

Jackie McLean, tenor

Where does Jackie appear on tenor?

[AndrewHill]

There's also Ayler on soprano and alto as well.

[Big Beat Steve]

Swinging Swede pointed in the right direction. There are many from that era. (Too numerous to mention?)

BTW: Would Zoot Sims'" Plays Alto, Tenor and Baritone" session count, too?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Last time I saw Ronnie Cuber live, he was playing tenor. I wondered whether that might have been a health issue - he's getting on, but not that much. I greatly prefer his baritone playing.

Hank Crawford played alto completely differently to the way he played baritone. Really, he might have been two people.

Now David Newman's the same man whatever he's playing. David's key, I think, is actually to pick the right instrument for each particular song. Well, he seems to succeed most of the time - I often find it hard to imagine how he might have tackled the tune on a different instrument, what he does seems to fit so well.

MG

[king ubu]

Bud Shank did a nice tenor album with his quartet (part of the Pacific Jazz Mosaic set - one I wouldn't want to miss!)

[mikeweil]

Don't forget Bird playing tenor sax as "Charlie Chan" on a Miles Davis Prestige session!

He started on a C-melody, IIRC.

Jane Ira Bloom played some alto on her second LP.

AFAIK Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons both switched between tenor and baritone in the band they had together (recorded for Prestige), depending on who was the tenor soloist.

Edited February 15, 2008 by mikeweil

[Swinging Swede]

McLean plays tenor on the title track on A Long Drink Of The Blues.

A couple more:

Sidney Bechet played tenor sax on his one man band recording.

Charlie Ventura, soprano & baritone

[king ubu]

I'd consider Ventura not someone who switched, rather (like a few others mentioned) one who used various horns most of the time... he also does some bass sax stuff on the Clef dates included on the Mosaic set.

[king ubu]

Cannonball Adderley also played soprano late in his career. But maybe also too regularly to be just another one who switched horns a few times?

[DukeCity]

Nick Brignola recorded some on soprano.

Ron Blake plays mainly tenor, but I see him playing mostly bari on Saturday Night Live.

[Swinging Swede]

I'd consider Ventura not someone who switched, rather (like a few others mentioned) one who used various horns most of the time... he also does some bass sax stuff on the Clef dates included on the Mosaic set.

The line can be difficult to draw sometimes, but in the case of Ventura I think it is safe to say that tenor was his main axe. Add alto to his instruments, btw.

[AndrewHill]

McLean plays tenor on the title track on A Long Drink Of The Blues.

Thanks! I did not know that (maybe because I don't own the album).

[Swinging Swede]

Don't forget Bird playing tenor sax as "Charlie Chan" on a Miles Davis Prestige session!

Bird also played tenor on Miles' first leader session for Savoy in 1947, and on the so called Redcross recordings from 1943.

[Rooster_Ties]

Terence Blanchard's "Romantic Defiance" (Columbia, 1995) includes Kenny Garrett playing exclusively tenor.

Always meant to pick this one up out of curiosity, since Garrett's alto tone is VERY distinctive.

(Heard it once at a friends house years ago, but didn't realize it was Garrett on the date until later.)

[Swinging Swede]

Dexter Gordon, baritone (in 1952)

Budd Johnson, alto

Eddie Miller, alto

[JSngry]

Dexter on soprano too.

[king ubu]

Ok, I don't know Ventura that well yet, really... from the sessions on the Mosaic I got the impression he was a natural doubler (tripler, quadrupler, whatever).

Another one: Harry Carney on alto sax

[king ubu]

And just for the record: I quite like the Getz/Mulligan album!

[BeBop]

James Moody's another doubler...tripler...

[Tom 1960]

Oliver Nelson played both tenor and alto saxes.