I'm warning you right now - I'm getting political with this one. For this video, I pulled out my song from about 7 years ago called SaxObamaRama from the Angel Biscuit album and used it to tell the story or Obama's many accomplishments despite the unabashed obstructionism from the GOP. Enjoy!
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Fallin' - Live Performance Video
Fallin', the Grammy award winning song from Alicia Keys, is a perfect song for the saxophone - soulful, sultry, emotional - it's got it all. Here's my live version of this beautiful haunting masterpiece.
This song, "Fallin'", is from my album Saxual Healing and can be found here: http://markmaxwellmusic.com/saxual-healing . If you're a instrumentalist and you like to perform this song yourself, the play-along version can be found here: http://markmaxwellmusic.com/smooth-jazz-play-alongs
By the way, this is a song that my wife, Roberta, insisted that I record and, as usual, she was absolutely right!
This song, "Fallin'", is from my album Saxual Healing and can be found here: http://markmaxwellmusic.com/saxual-healing . If you're a instrumentalist and you like to perform this song yourself, the play-along version can be found here: http://markmaxwellmusic.com/smooth-jazz-play-alongs
By the way, this is a song that my wife, Roberta, insisted that I record and, as usual, she was absolutely right!
Coltrane solo played on Recorder - amazing!
This is unbelievable. Check out this recorder player, Benoît Sauvé, playing an incredibly difficult John Coltrane solo. I'm stunned! What an achievement.
Soul Vaccination
I had to great thrill and honor of auditioning with Tower Of Power about 20 years ago.
I remember quite clearly one of the songs we played was Soul Vaccination. I was reading the lead tenor chart and, man, all those syncopated notes just looked like dots flying by; it was really hard to read. I should have just played it from heart; after all, I've heard the tune about 10,000 times.
I still love listening to it! Everybody get in line!
That's Norbert Stachel playing lead tenor. I think he's the guy that got the gig on that audition. If so, I can see why they hired him - he's smokin'!
Check out his use of the flat 13 at about the 2:15 point. That's not the way Lenny Picket played it but I love it!
Enjoy!
I remember quite clearly one of the songs we played was Soul Vaccination. I was reading the lead tenor chart and, man, all those syncopated notes just looked like dots flying by; it was really hard to read. I should have just played it from heart; after all, I've heard the tune about 10,000 times.
I still love listening to it! Everybody get in line!
That's Norbert Stachel playing lead tenor. I think he's the guy that got the gig on that audition. If so, I can see why they hired him - he's smokin'!
Check out his use of the flat 13 at about the 2:15 point. That's not the way Lenny Picket played it but I love it!
Enjoy!
You And Me And The Bottle Make Three Tonight
I'm on a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy ride! Sing along with me now...
Big. Ass. Sax.
You've got to love this guy's tie, and his serene demeanor. I especially like the reflection of the ceiling fan on the bell of this beautiful big-ass sax.
Oh, yes - the song is Sophisticated Lady. 9 octaves down.
Oh, yes - the song is Sophisticated Lady. 9 octaves down.
Eddie Harris - Smooth Jazz Saxophone Pioneer
Eddie Harris (1933-1996) was an amazing saxophonist and musician, an inventor and innovator, an educator, a savvy and successful businessman, a masterful performer, a fierce individualist, and a true smooth jazz saxophone pioneer.
Eddie Harris is not a super-famous sax man. He's not someone that gets mentioned a lot when you ask sax players who they listen to or are influenced by. But when you consider his career and his achievements, and the pervasive influence of his style and technological innovations, it becomes clear that Eddie Harris was a major force in the evolution of jazz/funk/blues fusion music, i.e., the forerunner of smooth jazz. Here's a quote from an article about Eddie Harris at the Ubiquity Records website:
One of the most interesting things about Eddie Harris' career was his work as an inventor and innovator. Among his many innovations (including the reed mouthpiece for the trumpet, coronet, trombone and flugelhorn) was the use of the Varitone, which was, in effect, an electric pickup for the saxophone. His use of the Varitone can be heard prominently on many of his recordings, including one his most popular hits, Listen Here, from his album The Electrifying Eddie Harris. You can hear the electricified quality, and especially the doubled lower octave, on this video of his hit, Listen Here, recorded in 1967:
Finally, Eddie Harris was a fierce individualist. He followed his heart wherever it led him. He was often villified by critics, first for his commercial success (they thought he was selling out) and later for his forays into funk and electronics.
Eddie Harris, a true smooth jazz saxophone pioneer.
Eddie Harris is not a super-famous sax man. He's not someone that gets mentioned a lot when you ask sax players who they listen to or are influenced by. But when you consider his career and his achievements, and the pervasive influence of his style and technological innovations, it becomes clear that Eddie Harris was a major force in the evolution of jazz/funk/blues fusion music, i.e., the forerunner of smooth jazz. Here's a quote from an article about Eddie Harris at the Ubiquity Records website:
"In the course of recording more than 70 albums and CD’s, and the author of seven (7) music books, Eddie has displayed himself as a jazz artist who has played blues, rock, jazz fusion, straight-ahead, soul and funk grooves. Eddie’s pioneering work in musical electronics and the effective conjunction of different elements of blues, rhythm and blues, jazz and funk has had widespread influence of what is generally considered today’s music. Eddie’s music has been sampled by over 30 artists including: Macy Gray, Jamiroquai, DJ Jazz Jeff, Heavy D and the Fresh Prince."Note the reference to the 'effective conjunction of different elements of blues, rhythm and blues, jazz and funk'. That's smooth jazz, man! And from the Eddie Harris website:
"Eddie’s pioneering work in musical electronics and the effective conjunction of different elements of blues, rhythm and blues, jazz and funk has had widespread influence of what is generally considered today’s music. Eddie’s music has been sampled by over 30 artists including: Macy Gray, Jamiroquai, DJ Jazz Jeff, Heavy D and the Fresh Prince."'...widespread influence of what is generally considered today's music.' Again, that's referring to smooth jazz. To be precise, Eddie Harris recorded 76 albums. Three of his albums, including his very first release, Exodus To Jazz, were certified gold (over one million copies sold). I guarantee this album was being heard in every household in the country back in the mid-60's. His composition, Freedom Jazz Dance, was recorded by Miles Davis, and subsequently became a jazz standard. He wrote most of the music heard on The Bill Cosby Show.
One of the most interesting things about Eddie Harris' career was his work as an inventor and innovator. Among his many innovations (including the reed mouthpiece for the trumpet, coronet, trombone and flugelhorn) was the use of the Varitone, which was, in effect, an electric pickup for the saxophone. His use of the Varitone can be heard prominently on many of his recordings, including one his most popular hits, Listen Here, from his album The Electrifying Eddie Harris. You can hear the electricified quality, and especially the doubled lower octave, on this video of his hit, Listen Here, recorded in 1967:
Finally, Eddie Harris was a fierce individualist. He followed his heart wherever it led him. He was often villified by critics, first for his commercial success (they thought he was selling out) and later for his forays into funk and electronics.
Eddie Harris, a true smooth jazz saxophone pioneer.
6 Better Reasons Why The Sax is SO Awesome
In response to my article 7 Reasons Why The Saxophone Rocks:
We need more of these in the world don't you think? Check out those sexy suits.
And how often do you see a saxophone that huge (that's a rare bass saxophone)? Wow!
We need more of these in the world don't you think? Check out those sexy suits.
And how often do you see a saxophone that huge (that's a rare bass saxophone)? Wow!
7 Reasons Why The Saxophone is SO Awesome
It seems that everyone loves the sax. People tell me constantly how much they love the sax. (You probably do, too, or you wouldn't be reading this.)
But why? What is it about the sax that's so wonderfully cool? And why does it effect so many people so strongly? Here are my thoughts on the subject:
- Sax makes you feel good. The very sound of the sax does something to you. It touches you. It tickles your nervous system. In a good way.
- Sax sounds great anytime, in just about any kind of music, and makes almost any band more fun to listen to, even lousy ones. Even country music. Even polkas!
- Sax creates great ambiance. The sax sounds hip, sophisticated, relaxed, sensuous and romantic, and always creates great atmosphere.
- The sax looks cool. Even just the look of the instrument itself is artistic and fun. Even just having a sax laying around the room creates a hip ambiance.
- Sax music takes you... A good sax player can really take you places like no other instrument. Sure, guitar players would argue with that, but its true!
- Sax players are cool people. Almost universally. And I know a lot of them.
- Sax & Sex. And I think you know what I mean. Need I say more?
Sacramento Magazine - Playing Sax With Gloves
Got my face in Sacramento Magazine this month. It was part of spread for the Nevada City, CA event called Victorian Christmas.
Ain’t it beautiful? You’ll notice I’m wearing gloves? This picture was taken last December, and man it was cold that night! But business was good, people were friendly – life was beautiful!