Article 20
Like all jazz musicians, over the years I've learned from those who have gone before, by listening to recordings, and transcribing improvised solos. It's a great way to keep your brain in tune, and to...
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Article 19
Stan Getz - Telephone SongWhere to begin...Well, as a saxophonist, I suppose it's only natural that the first to occur to me are from other saxophonists I've listened to over the years. One of the...
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Article 18
Miles Davis - FourThe first lick was suggested by Dave Harrison, who instigated this whole idea in the first place.
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Article 17
Illinois Jacquet - Flyin' HomeHere's my own first choice - a storming pick up, from the last couple bars of the middle eight of a great rhythm-changes tune.
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Article 16
Oliver Nelson - Stolen MomentsThis is a somewhat ethereal phrase, over a tranquil minor blues. This whole solo is a succession very thoughtful 'developments of a lick', where a very simple idea is...
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Article 15
Paul Gonsalves - J. and B. BluesThis kicks off the second chorus of a joyful solo over a 12 bar blues - it starts in the second bar of the sequence.
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Article 14
Wardell Gray - Sweet and LovelyThis is really two licks in one - the second bar is much better known as one of Charlie Parker's signature phrases. It's over a slow 4, with the semi-quavers swung.
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Article 13
Dexter Gordon - Cheese Cakeaudio versionaudio versionYou could take almost any bar from this solo, or any other on this album, but here are two suggested by Jake McMurchie
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Article 12
Joe Henderson - Johnny Come LatelyI hadn't come across this tune before I started this project - I don't think it's in any of the Real Books, for example. Then in quick succession I found two versions,...
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Article 10
Bob Berg - Friday Night At The Cadillac ClubI have to confess to never really listening that much to Bob Berg. I think this stems from seeing him play at Ronnie Scotts and finding it a less than...
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Article 9
Pat Metheny - Third WindBoth Luis D'Agostino and Mo Nazam suggested this one. For an alternative transcription, not just of this opening break, but of the whole solo, check out Brent Suntzner's site...
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Article 8
Stanley Turrentine - The Mule"From the album Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell.This one's from Denny Ilett. The lick starts in the 7th bar of Stanley's 2nd chorus. THe audio clip starts from the beginning...
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Article 7
Cannonball AdderleyTaken from the Miles Davis Album "Round about Midnight / Milestones" (at least that's how it's listed on iTunes these days). Suggested by Simon Bates
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Article 5
Gene Ammons - Exactly Like You Huge thanks to Claus Koch (a great saxophonist I met at the Unterfahrt club in Munich, one mad weekend a few years ago) for telling me about this great piece. He says...
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Article 3
Hank Mobley - Dig DisThis comes from the album Soul Station. It's always dangerous to claim a superlative, but this really is one of the all time great jazz albums. As a model of taste and elegance,...
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Article 2
James Carter - Round MidnightI don't think anyone would realistically claim that this is a 'lick' as such. It's a great phrase though, over Thelonius Monk's gorgeous ballad (one of my favourite tunes)....
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Article 1
Roy Eldridge - You Can Depend On MeI think I first came across Roy Eldridge's name when reading Dizzy Gillespie's fine autobiography "To Be Or Not To Bop". Dizzy cited him (iirc) as one of his biggest...
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Article 0
Dizzy Gillespie - Salt PeanutsAnd here's something from Dizzy Gillespie himself. Recorded live during the Jazz at Massey Hall concert (on which Charlie Parker plays a Grafton plastic saxophone). I...
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