What is the Best Saxophone Song?

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The discussion revolves around sharing links to various songs and artists, highlighting personal favorites and recommendations. Participants mention iconic tracks like "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty and "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, emphasizing their appreciation for guitar riffs and vocals. Dream Theater is frequently praised for its musicianship, particularly the drumming and progressive compositions. Other notable mentions include artists like Yngwie Malmsteen, Tommy Emmanuel, and Mary Black, showcasing a wide range of musical styles. The thread encourages exploration of new music and sharing of lesser-known talents.
  • #2,611
SW VandeCarr said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tNdNFACU00

She swings!

The best jazz musicians these days seem to be Japanese women. Here's my fave Take Five.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gtt1rxO-R8
 
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  • #2,612
ImaLooser said:
She swings!

The best jazz musicians these days seem to be Japanese women. Here's my fave Take Five.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gtt1rxO-R8

Well, there's no questioning her technical virtuosity and, for the most part, I enjoyed her interpretation. But maybe you could explain to me why talented jazz musicians, mostly pianists, like to throw in such harsh dissonant chords and break the rhythmic flow. Is it to shock, or maybe wake up the audience? Brubeck used do that too. Only Thelonious Monk could do that and make it work, IMHO.
 
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  • #2,613
SW VandeCarr said:
Well, there's no questioning her technical virtuosity and, for the most part, I enjoyed her interpretation. But maybe you could explain to me why talented jazz musicians, mostly pianists, like to throw in such harsh dissonant chords and break the rhythmic flow. Is it to shock, or maybe wake up the audience? Brubeck used do that too. Only Thelonious Monk could do that and make it work, IMHO.

I think it sounds great. But I'm a jazz musician who loves novelty, so I'm in a tiny minority.
 
  • #2,614
ImaLooser said:
I think it sounds great. But I'm a jazz musician who loves novelty, so I'm in a tiny minority.

Oh. I see. What do you play? Still, I suppose slamming your fist down on the keyboard every once in a while is novel, but is it music? (At least that what it sounded like to my uneducated ear.)
 
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  • #2,615
SW VandeCarr said:
Oh. I see. What do you play? Still, I suppose slamming your fist down on the keyboard every once in a while is novel, but is it music? (At least that what it sounded like to my uneducated ear.)

I was formally educated in music from the 3rd thru 7th grades, at which point I decided for some reason that playing the violin was not cool. So I'm not sure I have a properly educated ear either. But George Harrison's "naughty chords" comes to mind:

dratironmusic said:
... Composers use tension to keep the listener interested. It puts you into the song and makes you want, however subconscious it may be, the song to go a certain way. Harrison's use of rhytmic and harmonic tension is what keeps us hooked in every song. It is the reason we listen to it and find joy in it because he was a master at it. He was a master of directing us through each of his songs, taking our emotions and manipulating them with naughty chords and time changes but always taking us back home in the end. As long as this entry has been, I have only begun to scratch the surface of Harrison's masterful songwriting. In future updates I will discuss what production aspects give him his distinct sound as well as analyise his most impressive compositions so that we can all explore, together, the inner workings of brilliant music.
...

If you think this quote is long, the original article is 20 times longer, and I think you'd need a PhD in music to comprehend it all.

Without getting into the details of how to construct each chord, I'll show you examples. A Cmajor chord is built on the note C-E-G. The distance from C to E is a major third (hence a major chord). A Cminor chord is built on the notes C-Eb(b=flat)-G. The distance from C to Eb is a minor third.

Without getting into the details? :rolleyes: It's like being in math chat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnx87LIDO9k​

George said:
People always say I'm the Beatle who changed the most, but really that's what I see life is about. You have to change.
 
  • #2,616
SW VandeCarr said:
Oh. I see. What do you play? Still, I suppose slamming your fist down on the keyboard every once in a while is novel, but is it music? (At least that what it sounded like to my uneducated ear.)

I play electric bass and a little bit of piano.

Playing music changes your brain (really) so musicians hear music differently than ordinary people, and highly trained musicians hear differently from casual ones. It's like learning a language, so yeah, we have got our own secret world. Very beautiful, but lonely.

Music is strictly for fun, so is what I hear "better" than what you hear? No, just different. You might even say that all that training is a waste of time. It has no practical use, that's for sure.

As to the "It's all cultural conditioning" theory, that's a load. You'd be amazed at how much agreement there is amongst musicians as to what is good and what is bad.
 
  • #2,617
OmCheeto said:
I was formally educated in music from the 3rd thru 7th grades, at which point I decided for some reason that playing the violin was not cool. So I'm not sure I have a properly educated ear either. But George Harrison's "naughty chords" comes to mind:
If you think this quote is long, the original article is 20 times longer, and I think you'd need a PhD in music to comprehend it all.
Without getting into the details? :rolleyes: It's like being in math chat.

I've skimmed that article and think it is BS. (The references to "his lose timing" and "mark of genious" don't help.) Diminished and augmented chords were common in pop music from 1920 to 1960. That's what the Beatles grew up with. It used to be completely normal, so anyone can learn that stuff.

"Here Comes the Sun ... Harrison shifts from 4/4 to 3/8 to 5/8 to 2/4. It's craziness unmatched anywhere else in rock music but it's brilliant." This is hogwash. It's especially silly because it applies to some John Lennon or Led Zeppelin but not George. Listen to "Good Morning" or "Black Dog" or "The Ocean." This guy is full of it.

Basic harmony is pretty simple, but if you don't know it it might as well be algebraic topology. There is harmonic theory but I find it of limited use. The ear is all that really matters. Beatles tunes are very pleasing to the ears, but sometimes contradict theory.

Pop music for some reason has devolved to being very, very simple in every way. So yeah, ordinary pop tunes from 1940 are PhD material in comparison.
 
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  • #2,618
ImaLooser said:
I've skimmed that article and think it is BS. (The references to "his lose timing" and "mark of genious" don't help.) Diminished and augmented chords were common in pop music from 1920 to 1960. That's what the Beatles grew up with. It used to be completely normal, so anyone can learn that stuff.

"Here Comes the Sun ... Harrison shifts from 4/4 to 3/8 to 5/8 to 2/4. It's craziness unmatched anywhere else in rock music but it's brilliant." This is hogwash. It's especially silly because it applies to some John Lennon or Led Zeppelin but not George. Listen to "Good Morning" or "Black Dog" or "The Ocean." This guy is full of it.

Basic harmony is pretty simple, but if you don't know it it might as well be algebraic topology. There is harmonic theory but I find it of limited use. The ear is all that really matters. Beatles tunes are very pleasing to the ears, but sometimes contradict theory.

Pop music for some reason has devolved to being very, very simple in every way. So yeah, ordinary pop tunes from 1940 are PhD material in comparison.

hmmm...

I disagree with everything except for the fact that current pop music all sounds like "mary had a little lamb" lately.

ps. This is supposed to be kind of like an MTV thread, only with music, unlike MTV...:rolleyes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKQSlH-LLTQ

Joni said:
Oh but now old friends are acting strange
and they shake their heads, they say I've changed
well something's lost but something's gained
in living every day

kill your drama!

pps. Did I self sensor, or did someone delete my repost of Arildno's Opera piece?
arildno said:
I don't know if I've posted this before, but Diana Damrau's performance as The Queen of the Night is just magical:



Or is there a music counter? I offered my bartender $5! if he'd play that the other day. He said; "No Opera!"

...

kids...
 
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  • #2,619
I'm very glad my younger brother bought me a mandolin for my birthday 7(?) years ago.

I can play along with music anytime I want.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXwR0JGUCFI​
 
  • #2,620
Get on your bikes and ride!

 
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  • #2,621
I figure Greg is my PF "Pusher Man". Thanks for the fixes man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAM6-my_JcA

BTW: Thanks Evo for the extra "Push". :!)
 
  • #2,622
Gad said:
And I suppose you don't understand what they say? :biggrin:

Oh, of course I have a general idea what it's *about* I guess, but no, no idea what they are saying specifically, though I know that a lot of it is their version of scat singing so it's not translatable.

I like Sufi music too, only a different type-- Turkish sufi music. Which rely mostly on the instrument ney/flute [my favourite instrument]. This piece is called 'quiescence':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_xFkfK4OEg

I'll have to see if that works in my study playlist. :)


I also adore Sufi poems, here's one by Ibn Al Rumi (Jelalludin Rumi):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqVBGv2hpQ4

VERY cool. I love Rumi also. Though I haven't got theistic inclinations, Rumi's poetry has always resonated with me in a special way.
 
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  • #2,623
nazarbaz said:
That's beautiful. In north Africa, there is a more primal form of esoteric "music" called gnawa or diwan. I'm a disciple of it. It's part of some shamanistic rituals brought up by the descendents of african slaves in the northern shores of the continent. Beauty is not what they look for, they go far beyond it to the deepest layers of our brains and minds. In my view, it's one of the most sophistcated and powerful grooves you can find on the planet.

Master Hmida Boussou

Master Benaissa


This is the soul of a people.


Thanks. This has the kind of groove I'm looking for. For whatever reason this stuff kind of tunes my brain into a contemplative/concentration mood, whereas western music causes me to go into a kind of analytic mode (I'm a classical and jazz guitarist), which is distracting.

Another one that comes up on my Jango playlist based on Nusrat's stuff is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFTw0c9ew3k

I have no idea in what tradition it's originally based, (obviously it's now in a pop tradition, but I don't know where it might be rooted). Have no idea what language it is or what they are even saying, but it's beautiful.

-Dave K
 
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  • #2,624
dkotschessaa said:
Thanks. This has the kind of groove I'm looking for. For whatever reason this stuff kind of tunes my brain into a contemplative/concentration mood, whereas western music causes me to go into a kind of analytic mode (I'm a classical and jazz guitarist), which is distracting.

Another one that comes up on my Jango playlist based on Nusrat's stuff is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFTw0c9ew3k

I have no idea in what tradition it's originally based, (obviously it's now in a pop tradition, but I don't know where it might be rooted). Have no idea what language it is or what they are even saying, but it's beautiful.

-Dave K

That's what gnawa is all about. The full effect cannot be reached before several hours of playing or listening and the guidance of a master. Some jazz musicians, like Randy Weston, got interested in it for the same reasons you mentionned and made very good stuff of it.
Thank you for sharing.
 
  • #2,625
Got to take them as they come.

 
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  • #2,626
SW VandeCarr said:
Well, there's no questioning her technical virtuosity and, for the most part, I enjoyed her interpretation. But maybe you could explain to me why talented jazz musicians, mostly pianists, like to throw in such harsh dissonant chords and break the rhythmic flow. Is it to shock, or maybe wake up the audience? Brubeck used do that too. Only Thelonious Monk could do that and make it work, IMHO.

Jazz can be a bit like a drug. People that listen to a lot of it often start looking for "stronger stuff." I like a lot of dissonance and I like tricky rhythms, but only if they fit into the musical structure. In this case, I wouldn't say the rhythmic flow is "broken." But it does take a bit of sophistication to understand in what way the rhythm is being played with. Same with the chords.

-Dave K
(also a jazz musician)
 
  • #2,627
A beautiful blues from the desert sands...
 
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  • #2,628
I've been listening to a lot of Tinariwen lately, an African blues / vocal ensemble, it's amazing music, I love the blues fusion!

 
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  • #2,629
My vote for the most beautifully sung song ever.

Eva became a big star in the UK posthumously. One of her fans persuaded the
BBC to play one of her tunes. People started to call in, one thing led to another, and that was all it took. US media is strictly pay-for-play, so you never hear her here. It's illegal, but the last thing the government wants to do is tangle with the media, so they look the other way.

Eva's version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow is now standard, replacing the original, and was voted the best pop song of the 20th century.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFFo1pu4q7Q
 
  • #2,630
In this times of pure madness... Quatuor pour la fin du temps...

To the limits, really...
 
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  • #2,631
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida sung in Finnish. This guy is one of the most popular singers and actors in Finland, he did the Finnish voice for Aladdin's Genie and has an operatic voice. He mostly does folk music and mainstream pop, this seems to be his only rock number. It sounds a lot like Mahavishnu's Dance of Maya. Hypnotic! There is a truly bizarre solo by something that sounds like a duck call. It seems to be entirely serious though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8pYnFV77Eo
 
  • #2,632
Last day!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rSBgfXoIPo​

This song carried me the last few miles... :wink:

HOME BASE!

Kick the can!

o:)
 
  • #2,633
Cuz, Mamma, I'm ho,o,ooooome...


drats... there's my name again...

someone should shut me down.
 
  • #2,634
left ear is singing/ringing...

shut up LisaB...!

:blushing:
 
  • #2,635
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJcQYVtZMo​

Flash mob is a bit of an exaggeration. More of a trickle mob.
 
  • #2,636
You know you're getting old when you are familiar with DirecTV's Sonic Tap 60's. 70's, 80's, and '90's hit songs. This is one of my favorites from the 60's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdKjEHfHINQ
 
  • #2,637
If you like this song, look up Bobby Bland on YouTube. One of the best blues vocalists ever. I don't have the bandwidth to stream videos, so I'm stuck with an audio-only track.

 
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  • #2,638
turbo said:
If you like this song, ...



You know what I like. Best listened to when having:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5VIIdMQBjg
 
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  • #2,639
When I was a kid, WTGrant ran a special on transistor radios. Not the pocket-kind, but much larger (and better-sounding) radios that could be run off multiple C batteries, which we couldn't afford, or had to be plugged in. There was a station in Buffalo that I could tune in every day after sunset, and get all sorts of "race" music. Eventually, that station fell prey to the black pop music scene, but I loved the music.

I don't have the bandwidth to preview and link much of Bobby Bland's stuff on YouTube, but here is a sample. BB and Bobby.

 
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  • #2,640
dlgoff said:
You know what I like. Best listened to when having:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5VIIdMQBjg

Very nice. Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen used to play this, but this is a lot better than that. They don't make 'em like they used to.
 

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