Hi!
I'm writing for asking you if anyone knows any Irish group that includes a saxophone (not for second voices, for playing melodies); or at least if anyone knows a group that combine well the Irish music and jazz.
Anecdotal examples I've read and heard sugggest that saxophone and other instruments (such as piano) were integrated into the very small traditional Irish music industry in the early part of the twentieth century.
Tom Cussen(banjo) and Tony Howley recorded a CD a few years ago called "There's Always Room In Our House". As is always the case with Mr Cussen it is essential listening.
Josie McDermott certainly played saxophone. I've been told that many great flute players from Sligo, Roscommon, and Leitrim use to play saxophone. Haven't don't much research or listening about it, but I've heard they were used in dance and Ceili bands a lot from about 1920-1970s. Would love get some video & audio recordings, can't find much on youtube. I play the sax as well as flute - but not too much trad, definitely not in sessions. I know Conal O Grada, Hammy Hamilton and Paddy Keenan own saxophones. I wish they would record something for the craic!
That's verging on the acceptable to my ears, John Conoboy, but it still has a touch of the Abbot and Costello or the Benny Hill about it. The clarinet is even worse.
The Irish singer Mary Black's first album - just called, I think, "Mary Black" - has some classy saxophone backing on it. It's a good album with a miscellany of trad, jazz and other songs on it, including I think some of her own (I don't have the album any more...). No tunes, but I'd say it was nonetheless a state-of-the-art Irish music milestone of the Eighties.
Excellent clips, an excellent instrument for Irish music, as has been illustrated by the clips.
It is the player that counts with any instrument,
That Gallowgalass clip was very dancey, despite the fact they were playing Piano Accordions.
Leo Schott of Pennsylvania (Scranton area) plays sax and pipes too, and can knock out ITM on the former as well. I see various clips of him on YT and will have to ask him why they're all <40 seconds when we speak again. I mean, it's like the uploader is being merciful or something...
The Erin's Pride Orchestra recorded the Stack of Oats barndance medley in 1948, very nice record, that's on Topic's Irish Dance Music CD.
It's not Irish, but rather Quebecois, and they combine extremely traditional Quebecois with an extremely good brass section with heavy jazz/latin elements.
The sax player arranges all the "big band" stuff and alternates between that, jazz style soloing and doubling the trad melody instruments.
This group is credited with starting the resurgence of Francophone trad music in Canada in the mid-70s and added the brass section in 1990.
Not to everybody's taste, but as an exercise in blending jazz saxophone sensibilities with hardcore trad tunes, I have been unable to find a better example.
Wild Colonial Boy, one of the accordions was a chromatic button box, which must account for the danceability. Who has ever danced to a piano accordion?
I'm practicing tenor sax and I just got hold of a few irish tunes in the form of "band in a box" files so I've started working on Gallagher's frolics now, I think it sounds great but I haven't got that "Irish" feel to it quite yet. I need to listen to some traditional players. It isn't as easy to grab a breath on tenor as it is on the whistle and I'm having to play whole parts of it in one breath.
Hell of a big bright sound though, I listened to some of the videos linked here already and I could hardly hear the sax in them I don't know what the point was, a tin flute would have been louder.
I liked Show Bottine Souriante. I think the last track there sounded more Cajun than Irish though, but good.
Now whether you like it or not, and it certainly isn't traditional, there is a last word in the application of saxophone to the irish idiom in the form of a single tune called Itsbynne Reel by Michael Brecker who was the greatest tenor sax player ever. The original recording was performed with Mark O'Connor on fiddle. Brecker played both tenor sax and EWI (which is an electronic flute/sax synth thingy) and on the original recording he used a sample from O'Connors fiddle for the EWI, so the piece started like a fiddle duet (except that one was the EWI). This original track is not on YouTube, but there are two live versions of it.
The first track opens with the EWI playing a fiddle-like voice, Brecker's ability was absolutely exceptional, and then Brecker goes to tenor sax at 4:25, with him getting into the solo proper at 5:04 (I say this for those who won't listen through till then).
Yes the track is heavy, but I believe that he brings the Irish idiom into his own unique style brilliantly.
Could you dance a jig to it? I don't know. Probably the meter is not correct.
I would like to hear what you guys with traditional knowledge think of this track.
The other version of it has a slightly more traditional lean, opening with Piano accordion (not a traditional Irish instrument though) played by Gil Goldstein, and with the sax coming in at 3:00 playing the main "jig" melody that was played by the EWI in the previous clip (I think it's triplets in 4/4 actially).
Incidentally I said I have a big bright sound it's actually the same mouthpiece I have that Brecker is using in these clips, so your opinions on this instrument for Irish tunes would really be appreciated.
Saxophone in Irish music
Saxophone in Irish music
Hi!
I'm writing for asking you if anyone knows any Irish group that includes a saxophone (not for second voices, for playing melodies); or at least if anyone knows a group that combine well the Irish music and jazz.
Thanks in advance
Enrique.
# Posted on May 20th 2011 by Kikolo3000
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Aye, Moving Hearts.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Andy Sugden
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Also 'At the Racket'
http://www.iol.ie/~racket/racket-bio.htm
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by kinga
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
The Gallowglass Ceili Band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2fmhuB1Kj0
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Stuporman
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Deiseal
http://cormacbreatnach.com/wp/
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Toppish
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
I understand that Paddy Killoran and His Pride of Erin Orchestra has the Sax in some of their arrangements.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Boots MacAllen
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Anecdotal examples I've read and heard sugggest that saxophone and other instruments (such as piano) were integrated into the very small traditional Irish music industry in the early part of the twentieth century.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Dragut Reis
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
But as for jazz?
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Dragut Reis
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Nice.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Dragut Reis
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Smooth.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Dragut Reis
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Yeah.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Dragut Reis
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
I know.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Dragut Reis
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Stuporman,
That's about the best thing I've ever seen in my feckin' life
Thanks.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Hugo Chavez
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Michel Bonamy. Brilliant playing on Celtic Contraband and Hanging at the Crossroads. Neither of which is easy to get yr hands on.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by David Levine
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Tom Cussen(banjo) and Tony Howley recorded a CD a few years ago called "There's Always Room In Our House". As is always the case with Mr Cussen it is essential listening.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Tony O'Rourke
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Didn't flute player Josie McDermott, R.I.P., also play sax?
All the best
Brian x
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by briantheflute
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Josie McDermott certainly played saxophone. I've been told that many great flute players from Sligo, Roscommon, and Leitrim use to play saxophone. Haven't don't much research or listening about it, but I've heard they were used in dance and Ceili bands a lot from about 1920-1970s. Would love get some video & audio recordings, can't find much on youtube. I play the sax as well as flute - but not too much trad, definitely not in sessions. I know Conal O Grada, Hammy Hamilton and Paddy Keenan own saxophones. I wish they would record something for the craic!
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by jcawley
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
How about this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC3AwVWzd8I
John
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by John Conoboy
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
That's verging on the acceptable to my ears, John Conoboy, but it still has a touch of the Abbot and Costello or the Benny Hill about it. The clarinet is even worse.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by gam
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Donal Ring Ceili Band from Cork had a very good sax player with them for many years.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by Free Reed
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
The Irish singer Mary Black's first album - just called, I think, "Mary Black" - has some classy saxophone backing on it. It's a good album with a miscellany of trad, jazz and other songs on it, including I think some of her own (I don't have the album any more...). No tunes, but I'd say it was nonetheless a state-of-the-art Irish music milestone of the Eighties.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by nicholas
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Lovely John. Sounds nice. It's more traditional sounding than some flute players I know. Seamus is a good flute player as well.
# Posted on May 21st 2011 by jcawley
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Michael McGoldrick and John McSherry use saxophone in their music at times. I think it sounds pretty good, but only in small doses.
# Posted on May 22nd 2011 by JPFlute
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
There is a CD. I believe it is called "Celtic Solstice" that features a saxophone on every track.
# Posted on May 22nd 2011 by MorganYYZ
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
I used to play clarinet and sax but I hate in this music. Soprano
sax is marginally OK - it sounds a bit like a chanter.
# Posted on May 23rd 2011 by Hup
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Excellent clips, an excellent instrument for Irish music, as has been illustrated by the clips.
It is the player that counts with any instrument,
That Gallowgalass clip was very dancey, despite the fact they were playing Piano Accordions.
# Posted on May 23rd 2011 by Joseph Tailyour
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Jimmy & Jane O Brien Moran: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwybicP_75U No trad content here but Jimmy is a great piper when he's not making like Zoot Sims.
Leo Schott of Pennsylvania (Scranton area) plays sax and pipes too, and can knock out ITM on the former as well. I see various clips of him on YT and will have to ask him why they're all <40 seconds when we speak again. I mean, it's like the uploader is being merciful or something...
The Erin's Pride Orchestra recorded the Stack of Oats barndance medley in 1948, very nice record, that's on Topic's Irish Dance Music CD.
# Posted on May 25th 2011 by KLR
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
It's not Irish, but rather Quebecois, and they combine extremely traditional Quebecois with an extremely good brass section with heavy jazz/latin elements.
La Bottine Souriante
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5818176740138786623#
August festival in Chibougamau
The sax player arranges all the "big band" stuff and alternates between that, jazz style soloing and doubling the trad melody instruments.
This group is credited with starting the resurgence of Francophone trad music in Canada in the mid-70s and added the brass section in 1990.
Not to everybody's taste, but as an exercise in blending jazz saxophone sensibilities with hardcore trad tunes, I have been unable to find a better example.
# Posted on May 25th 2011 by HipCzeck
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Wild Colonial Boy, one of the accordions was a chromatic button box, which must account for the danceability. Who has ever danced to a piano accordion?
# Posted on May 26th 2011 by Stuporman
Re: Saxophone in Irish music
Well........
I'm practicing tenor sax and I just got hold of a few irish tunes in the form of "band in a box" files so I've started working on Gallagher's frolics now, I think it sounds great but I haven't got that "Irish" feel to it quite yet. I need to listen to some traditional players. It isn't as easy to grab a breath on tenor as it is on the whistle and I'm having to play whole parts of it in one breath.
Hell of a big bright sound though, I listened to some of the videos linked here already and I could hardly hear the sax in them I don't know what the point was, a tin flute would have been louder.
I liked Show Bottine Souriante. I think the last track there sounded more Cajun than Irish though, but good.
Now whether you like it or not, and it certainly isn't traditional, there is a last word in the application of saxophone to the irish idiom in the form of a single tune called Itsbynne Reel by Michael Brecker who was the greatest tenor sax player ever. The original recording was performed with Mark O'Connor on fiddle. Brecker played both tenor sax and EWI (which is an electronic flute/sax synth thingy) and on the original recording he used a sample from O'Connors fiddle for the EWI, so the piece started like a fiddle duet (except that one was the EWI). This original track is not on YouTube, but there are two live versions of it.
The first track opens with the EWI playing a fiddle-like voice, Brecker's ability was absolutely exceptional, and then Brecker goes to tenor sax at 4:25, with him getting into the solo proper at 5:04 (I say this for those who won't listen through till then).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD6JCRmgx1w
Yes the track is heavy, but I believe that he brings the Irish idiom into his own unique style brilliantly.
Could you dance a jig to it? I don't know. Probably the meter is not correct.
I would like to hear what you guys with traditional knowledge think of this track.
The other version of it has a slightly more traditional lean, opening with Piano accordion (not a traditional Irish instrument though) played by Gil Goldstein, and with the sax coming in at 3:00 playing the main "jig" melody that was played by the EWI in the previous clip (I think it's triplets in 4/4 actially).
Incidentally I said I have a big bright sound it's actually the same mouthpiece I have that Brecker is using in these clips, so your opinions on this instrument for Irish tunes would really be appreciated.
# Posted on February 16th 2012 by Damien Duffy