Late 40's & early '50s Tenor Sax

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Doug · #1 Post by **Doug** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 2:33 pm

So recently I've started playing some late 40's & early 50's tenor sax sounds. I think that a lot of it is unmitigated crap, but my current favorites include:

Al Sears (Johnny Hodges), Castle Rock, '51 170bpm
Earl Bostic, Flamingo, '51 107bpm
Earl Bostic, Steam Whistle Jump, '52 182bpm
Eddie Chamblee, Caravan, '53 220bpm
Eddie Chamblee, Spider Web, '53 152bpm
Jack McVea, Jack Frost, '47 210bpm
Red Prysock, Soft, '52 164bpm
Sax Kari (AKA Candy Yams), Down For Debbie, '53 176bpm

Anybody else playing this style?? Other recommendations??

julius · #2 Post by **julius** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 3:55 pm

Not that I know any of that stuff, but Lester Young from 46 to 57(?) (when he died) played some awesome stuff. Not necessarily to dance to, but if you want good tenor sax of that era...Complete Lester Young Verve Sessions is a must.

Doug · #3 Post by **Doug** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 5:08 pm

Julius - Couldn't agree with you more about Lester's Awesome Stuff! Actually I put him in a category above the tenor players that I listed, so didn't include him. (Huh?) And some of his stuff out of the late 40's is way danceable. I regularly include Symphony Sid (1947 - 143 bpm) and The Sheik Of Araby (Dec '48 - 220 bpm) when I DJ. And when I see a few heros out there, I've been known to play his version of I Want To Be Happy ('46 - 270 bpm) and even Jumpin' At The Woodside (Dec '47 - 290 bpm).

>Complete Lester Young Verve Sessions is a must.

Yup. And Lester's Proper Box ain't bad either.