I know it was mentioned to list favorite albums, but I also would like to mention the most influential I've had in my years of playing sax.
5. Tim Capello - Blood on the Reed
I've never actually seen The Lost Boys movie, only the clip where Tim just rips on the sax and then sings the line of 'Still Believe.' Nothing screams 'Spirit Animal' like a buff dude belting out a quintessential 80's sax lick and then singing the chorus. The rest of the album is simply that same energy. Not many other big hits, but that sound has never left me and as bright as it is, I still can't help but replicate it sometimes.
4. Bob Reynolds - Somewhere In Between
If you ever want to hear what Creep would sound like as soulful elevator music, this is the album he does it on. I'm a big Reynolds fan. If it wasn't for this album specifically where he uses slow jazz to cover some another awesome song (Everlong), I probably would've never thought transcribing traditional rock songs would be this cool.
3. Huey Lewis and the News - Fore!
Specifically: Hip to Be Square, but the remaining tracks are still great. That simple sax intro before Huey comes in is so impactful that I can't help but scrub back the song to listen to it again and again. The rest of the album is still great too with it's share of sax playing throughout. Bright playing with some soulful blues undertones is what I strive for in most of my own playing sessions.
2. John Coltrane - Love Supreme
This is an album I honestly can't believe I overlooked until Rev mentioned it to me one day. I haven't stopped listening to it since. Yes, it's basically the abstract art of music (free jazz), but it has a certain soul to it that really makes it a more 'controlled chaos' that really motivated me to pick up sax again after being absent for so long and just going with the flow like the ol' days of high school jazz band.
1. The Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno - Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack.
Yes it's from a Japanese cartoon. Yes, it's from the 90's, but the great thing about this album is you don't have to like or care about any of that. The music is astounding. The sax and ensemble playing: top notch. If it wasn't for 'Space Lion' and 'Tank!,' I would've never picked up my tenor and insisted on joining jazz band in middle school. It's the only album I can still pick up and constantly lean back and visualize the way it's played to this day.
I know it was mentioned to list favorite albums, but I also would like to mention the most influential I've had in my years of playing sax.
5. Tim Capello - Blood on the Reed
I've never actually seen The Lost Boys movie, only the clip where Tim just rips on the sax and then sings the line of 'Still Believe.' Nothing screams 'Spirit Animal' like a buff dude belting out a quintessential 80's sax lick and then singing the chorus. The rest of the album is simply that same energy. Not many other big hits, but that sound has never left me and as bright as it is, I still can't help but replicate it sometimes.
4. Bob Reynolds - Somewhere In Between
If you ever want to hear what Creep would sound like as soulful elevator music, this is the album he does it on. I'm a big Reynolds fan. If it wasn't for this album specifically where he uses slow jazz to cover some another awesome song (Everlong), I probably would've never thought transcribing traditional rock songs would be this cool.
3. Huey Lewis and the News - Fore!
Specifically: Hip to Be Square, but the remaining tracks are still great. That simple sax intro before Huey comes in is so impactful that I can't help but scrub back the song to listen to it again and again. The rest of the album is still great too with it's share of sax playing throughout. Bright playing with some soulful blues undertones is what I strive for in most of my own playing sessions.
2. John Coltrane - Love Supreme
This is an album I honestly can't believe I overlooked until Rev mentioned it to me one day. I haven't stopped listening to it since. Yes, it's basically the abstract art of music (free jazz), but it has a certain soul to it that really makes it a more 'controlled chaos' that really motivated me to pick up sax again after being absent for so long and just going with the flow like the ol' days of high school jazz band.
1. The Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno - Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack.
Yes it's from a Japanese cartoon. Yes, it's from the 90's, but the great thing about this album is you don't have to like or care about any of that. The music is astounding. The sax and ensemble playing: top notch. If it wasn't for 'Space Lion' and 'Tank!,' I would've never picked up my tenor and insisted on joining jazz band in middle school. It's the only album I can still pick up and constantly lean back and visualize the way it's played to this day.