Baritone saxophone
Encyclopedia
The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" (to avoid confusion with the baritone horn
, which is often referred to simply as "baritone"), is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone
family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax
. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece. This helps to keep the instrument at a practical height (the rarer bass saxophone
has a similar, but larger loop). It is the lowest pitched saxophone in common use.
, tenor
and soprano
.
It is a transposing instrument in the key of E. Modern baritones with a low A key and high F# key have a range from C2 to A4 and are therefore pitched one octave lower than the alto saxophone
, although Adolphe Sax had originally also produced a baritone saxophone in F intended for orchestral use. Despite its low register, music for the baritone saxophone is written in treble clef. It is also possible to read parts written in the bass clef for instruments pitched in C as if the part was in the treble clef, while adjusting the key signature from C to A and any accidentals
as necessary. (In other words, the player simply pretends the bass clef music were written in treble clef and adds three sharps to the key signature.) This is often useful for reading tuba
or trombone
parts in scores without a written baritone saxophone part.
The exceptional weight of the instrument (15-20 pounds or 6.5 kg), as compared to the other three commonly used sizes of saxophone, makes it difficult to use in marching bands. Baritone saxophone players in marching groups often use a special harness that distributes the weight of the instrument onto the player's back instead of around his or her neck, as is the conventional way of supporting the instrument. Even so, it is very hard to march with. The baritone saxophone can still be used in a marching band with the standard neckstrap, but that is unadvisable. Its reed size is notably large, twice that of an alto saxophone
reed and noticeably larger than that used by the tenor saxophone
.
The fingerings for all of the instruments in the saxophone family are essentially the same and many players play more than one type of saxophone. The baritone saxophone, however, is the only member of the saxophone family which usually possesses a "low A" key (sounding concert C, the same pitch as the lowest note on the cello
), whereas most other saxophones descend only to a fingered B, though altos and basses have been manufactured with low A keys, and Benedikt Eppelsheim
now makes a contrabass saxophone
with one; (sounding pitch depending on the key of the particular instrument).
' Sinfonia Domestica, which includes parts for four saxophones including a baritone saxophone in F; Béla Bartók
's Wooden Prince ballet music; Charles Ives
' Symphony no. 4, composed in 1910-16; and Gershwin's
Rhapsody in Blue
and An American in Paris
.
It has a comparatively small solo repertoire although an increasing number of concertos has appeared. When the baritone is used in an orchestral setting, it often doubles the tuba
, although a number of composers and arrangers have included solo parts for the baritone saxophone.
The baritone sax is an important part of military bands, concert bands, jazz bands, wind ensembles and is common in works of musical theater, especially those of the more "jazzy" type, e.g. Anything Goes
, Mack and Mabel, Chicago
. In concert band
s, it often plays a part similar to that of the tuba
, bassoon
, and bass clarinet
. The baritone player usually plays rather simple rhythms in order to maintain the musical pulse
of the group. Often, this consists of quarter notes on beats one and three in 4/4 time
.
The baritone plays a notable role in many Motown hits of the 60s, and has often been heard in the horn sections of funk, blues, and soul bands. It is sometimes also used in rock music. For example, it is featured along with a tenor sax in "Shine On You Crazy Diamond
" by Pink Floyd
from the album Wish You Were Here, and in "Modern Love
" by David Bowie
from the album "Let's Dance". Paul Simon
often includes a baritone saxophone in concert performances of Late in the Evening.
Prominent baritone saxophonists in contemporary American popular music include David Bowie
, Dana Colley of Morphine
and A.K.A.C.O.D., Curtis Vanzandt, Skerik
of Critters Buggin
, Clarence Clemons
, John Linnell
of They Might Be Giants
, Clifton Hyde
of Tinpan/Blue Man Group
, and Justin Harris of Menomena
. Linnell and Colley also play bass saxophone
on occasion. Many saxophonists also play a baritone on occasion including Dick Parry
, Dave Koz
, Clarence Clemons
, Ben Ellman of Galactic
, , the late Leroi Moore of the Dave Matthews Band
, http://www.davematthewsband.com, and David Sanborn
.
Nigerian Afrobeat singer, musician, and bandleader Fela Kuti
typically featured two baritone saxophone players in his band (most American jazz big bands feature only one).
Michael Brown plays the Bari Sax in the ska-punk band Streetlight Manifesto.
, being the largest size of saxophone used in that ensemble (although the larger bass saxophone
was occasionally used up to the 1940s). One of the instrument's pioneers was Duke Ellington
's longtime baritone player, Harry Carney
, who played both accompanying bass lines as well as exuberant solos and improvisations.
In big bands, the role of the baritone player usually involves doubling with the bass trombone, bass, or first alto saxophone but in some cases it has an independent part. (The saxophone section of a standard jazz band
contains two altos, two tenors, and a baritone.) The baritone player is usually expected to double on bass clarinet
.
Since the mid-1950s, master baritone saxophone soloists such as Gerry Mulligan
, Lars Gullin
, Cecil Payne, and Pepper Adams
achieved fame, and Serge Chaloff
was the first player of the instrument to achieve fame as a bebop
soloist. In the 1970s, a jazz band called the Baritone Saxophone Retinue consisted of between six and ten baritone saxophones, backed up by a rhythm section. A similar group, the International Baritone Conspiracy, which featured six baritones, was formed in the 1990s.
More recent notable performers include Billy Carrion, Ken Ponticelli, Hamiet Bluiett
(who has also led a group of baritone players), Luca T. Mai of Zu
, John Surman
, Scott Robinson
, James Carter
, Stephen "Doc" Kupka of the band Tower of Power
, Nick Brignola
, Clifton Hyde
, Gary Smulyan
, Ronnie Cuber
, Chad Makela, Frank Vacin, Claire Daly and Lauren Sevian. In the avant-garde scene, Andy Laster and Tim Berne
have doubled on bari. A Noted Scottish performer is Joe Temperley
, who has appeared with Humphrey Lyttelton
as well as with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. The Baritone Saxophone Band, a tribute to Gerry Mulligan, featured three baritone saxophonists: Ronnie Cuber, Gary Smulyan, and Nick Brignola.video
Baritone horn
The baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
, which is often referred to simply as "baritone"), is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax
Adolphe Sax
Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax was a Belgian musical instrument designer and musician who played the flute and clarinet, and is best known for having invented the saxophone.-Biography:...
. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece. This helps to keep the instrument at a practical height (the rarer bass saxophone
Bass saxophone
The bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
has a similar, but larger loop). It is the lowest pitched saxophone in common use.
Technical specifications
The baritone sax is the largest saxophone commonly seen in modern ensembles. The other common saxophones are the altoAlto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, tenor
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
and soprano
Soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
.
It is a transposing instrument in the key of E. Modern baritones with a low A key and high F# key have a range from C2 to A4 and are therefore pitched one octave lower than the alto saxophone
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, although Adolphe Sax had originally also produced a baritone saxophone in F intended for orchestral use. Despite its low register, music for the baritone saxophone is written in treble clef. It is also possible to read parts written in the bass clef for instruments pitched in C as if the part was in the treble clef, while adjusting the key signature from C to A and any accidentals
Accidental (music)
In music, an accidental is a note whose pitch is not a member of a scale or mode indicated by the most recently applied key signature. In musical notation, the symbols used to mark such notes, sharps , flats , and naturals , may also be called accidentals...
as necessary. (In other words, the player simply pretends the bass clef music were written in treble clef and adds three sharps to the key signature.) This is often useful for reading tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
or trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
parts in scores without a written baritone saxophone part.
The exceptional weight of the instrument (15-20 pounds or 6.5 kg), as compared to the other three commonly used sizes of saxophone, makes it difficult to use in marching bands. Baritone saxophone players in marching groups often use a special harness that distributes the weight of the instrument onto the player's back instead of around his or her neck, as is the conventional way of supporting the instrument. Even so, it is very hard to march with. The baritone saxophone can still be used in a marching band with the standard neckstrap, but that is unadvisable. Its reed size is notably large, twice that of an alto saxophone
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
reed and noticeably larger than that used by the tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
.
The fingerings for all of the instruments in the saxophone family are essentially the same and many players play more than one type of saxophone. The baritone saxophone, however, is the only member of the saxophone family which usually possesses a "low A" key (sounding concert C, the same pitch as the lowest note on the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
), whereas most other saxophones descend only to a fingered B, though altos and basses have been manufactured with low A keys, and Benedikt Eppelsheim
Benedikt Eppelsheim
Benedikt Eppelsheim is a world-renowned German maker of high- and low-voiced saxophones, the soprillo and tubax , which are available exclusively from him...
now makes a contrabass saxophone
Contrabass saxophone
The contrabass saxophone is the lowest-pitched extant member of the saxophone family proper. It is extremely large and heavy , and is pitched in the key of E, one octave below the baritone.-History:The contrabass...
with one; (sounding pitch depending on the key of the particular instrument).
In classical music
The baritone saxophone is used in classical music (particularly as a member of a saxophone quartet), but composers have rarely called for it in orchestral music. Examples include Richard StraussRichard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
' Sinfonia Domestica, which includes parts for four saxophones including a baritone saxophone in F; Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
's Wooden Prince ballet music; Charles Ives
Charles Ives
Charles Edward Ives was an American modernist composer. He is one of the first American composers of international renown, though Ives' music was largely ignored during his life, and many of his works went unperformed for many years. Over time, Ives came to be regarded as an "American Original"...
' Symphony no. 4, composed in 1910-16; and Gershwin's
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
and An American in Paris
An American in Paris
An American in Paris is a symphonic tone poem by the American composer George Gershwin, written in 1928. Inspired by the time Gershwin had spent in Paris, it evokes the sights and energy of the French capital in the 1920s. It is one of Gershwin's best-known compositions.Gershwin composed the piece...
.
It has a comparatively small solo repertoire although an increasing number of concertos has appeared. When the baritone is used in an orchestral setting, it often doubles the tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
, although a number of composers and arrangers have included solo parts for the baritone saxophone.
In popular music
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
, Mack and Mabel, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. In concert band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
s, it often plays a part similar to that of the tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
, bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
, and bass clarinet
Bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
. The baritone player usually plays rather simple rhythms in order to maintain the musical pulse
Pulse (music)
In music and music theory, the pulse or tactus consists of beats in a series of identical yet distinct periodic short-duration stimuli perceived as points in time occurring at the mensural level...
of the group. Often, this consists of quarter notes on beats one and three in 4/4 time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
.
The baritone plays a notable role in many Motown hits of the 60s, and has often been heard in the horn sections of funk, blues, and soul bands. It is sometimes also used in rock music. For example, it is featured along with a tenor sax in "Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a nine-part Pink Floyd composition written by Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and David Gilmour. The song is a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett, although it was not originally explicitly written with him in mind. It was first performed on their 1974 French...
" by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
from the album Wish You Were Here, and in "Modern Love
Modern Love
George Meredith's Modern Love is a collection of 50 16-line sonnets about the failure of his first marriage. He reflects his own disillusionment after his wife Mary Ellen, the daughter of Thomas Love Peacock, left him for the painter Henry Wallis. It is often thought of as one of the first...
" by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
from the album "Let's Dance". Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
often includes a baritone saxophone in concert performances of Late in the Evening.
Prominent baritone saxophonists in contemporary American popular music include David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Dana Colley of Morphine
Morphine (band)
Morphine was an American alternative rock group formed by Mark Sandman and Dana Colley in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1989. They disbanded in 1999 after frontman Sandman died of a heart attack....
and A.K.A.C.O.D., Curtis Vanzandt, Skerik
Skerik
Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, Skerik is a pioneer in a playing style that has been dubbed saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critters Buggin, Garage a Trois and Skerik's Syncopated...
of Critters Buggin
Critters Buggin
Critters Buggin is a Seattle, Washington-based instrumental group which performs in a jazz, rock and African-influenced, eclectic style. The band is composed of Matt Chamberlain , Skerik , Brad Houser Critters Buggin is a Seattle, Washington-based instrumental group which performs in a jazz, rock...
, Clarence Clemons
Clarence Clemons
Clarence Anicholas Clemons, Jr. , also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death, he was a prominent member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, playing the tenor saxophone. He released several solo albums and in 1985, had a hit single with "You're a...
, John Linnell
John Linnell
John Sidney Linnell is an American musician, is known primarily as one half of Brooklyn, New York alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants...
of They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
, Clifton Hyde
Clifton Hyde
Clifton Hyde is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer currently working from and residing in New York City....
of Tinpan/Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
, and Justin Harris of Menomena
Menomena
Menomena are an indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States; currently made up of Justin Harris, Danny Seim and more recently Joe Haege of 31Knots and Tu Fawning...
. Linnell and Colley also play bass saxophone
Bass saxophone
The bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
on occasion. Many saxophonists also play a baritone on occasion including Dick Parry
Dick Parry
Richard 'Dick' Parry is an English saxophonist. He has appeared as a session musician on various albums by modern bands and artists, and is probably best known for his solo parts on the Pink Floyd songs "Money", "Us and Them", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Wearing the Inside Out"...
, Dave Koz
Dave Koz
Dave Koz is an American smooth jazz saxophonist.- Life and career :Dave Koz was born on March 27, 1963 in Encino, California....
, Clarence Clemons
Clarence Clemons
Clarence Anicholas Clemons, Jr. , also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death, he was a prominent member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, playing the tenor saxophone. He released several solo albums and in 1985, had a hit single with "You're a...
, Ben Ellman of Galactic
Galactic
Galactic is a funk and jazz jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.-Origins and background:Originally formed in 1994 as an octet and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a sextet of: guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio,...
, , the late Leroi Moore of the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
, http://www.davematthewsband.com, and David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
.
Nigerian Afrobeat singer, musician, and bandleader Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
typically featured two baritone saxophone players in his band (most American jazz big bands feature only one).
Michael Brown plays the Bari Sax in the ska-punk band Streetlight Manifesto.
In jazz
Although few classical saxophonists perform exclusively on the baritone saxophone, a number of jazz performers have used it as their primary instrument. The baritone is an important instrument in the big bandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
, being the largest size of saxophone used in that ensemble (although the larger bass saxophone
Bass saxophone
The bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
was occasionally used up to the 1940s). One of the instrument's pioneers was Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
's longtime baritone player, Harry Carney
Harry Carney
Harry Howell Carney was an American swing baritone saxophonist, clarinetist, and bass clarinetist mainly known for his 45-year tenure in Duke Ellington's Orchestra. Carney started off as an alto player with Ellington, but soon switched to the baritone. His strong, steady saxophone often served as...
, who played both accompanying bass lines as well as exuberant solos and improvisations.
In big bands, the role of the baritone player usually involves doubling with the bass trombone, bass, or first alto saxophone but in some cases it has an independent part. (The saxophone section of a standard jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
contains two altos, two tenors, and a baritone.) The baritone player is usually expected to double on bass clarinet
Bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
.
Since the mid-1950s, master baritone saxophone soloists such as Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan
Gerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though Mulligan is primarily known as one of the leading baritone saxophonists in jazz history – playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz – he was also...
, Lars Gullin
Lars Gullin
Lars Gunnar Victor Gullin was a Swedish jazz baritone saxophone player, occasional pianist and composer closest in playing style to United States Cool school players, with a full tone, but also a lightness uncommon with baritone saxophonists and an influence from Swedish folk music, which helps...
, Cecil Payne, and Pepper Adams
Pepper Adams
Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III was a jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 43 pieces, was the leader on twenty albums, and participated in 600 sessions as a sideman.-Biography:...
achieved fame, and Serge Chaloff
Serge Chaloff
Serge Chaloff was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.The son of noted Boston piano teachers, Margaret and Julius Chaloff, he was among the few major jazz performers on his instrument. Until Chaloff the only prominent baritone player in jazz was Harry Carney of the Duke Ellington Orchestra...
was the first player of the instrument to achieve fame as a bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
soloist. In the 1970s, a jazz band called the Baritone Saxophone Retinue consisted of between six and ten baritone saxophones, backed up by a rhythm section. A similar group, the International Baritone Conspiracy, which featured six baritones, was formed in the 1990s.
More recent notable performers include Billy Carrion, Ken Ponticelli, Hamiet Bluiett
Hamiet Bluiett
Hamiet Bluiett is an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument is the baritone saxophone, and he is considered one of the finest living players of this instrument...
(who has also led a group of baritone players), Luca T. Mai of Zu
Zu (band)
- Biography :Hailing from Ostia, a town near Rome, Zu are an atypical trio made of drums, electric bass, baritone saxophone and electronics. Formed in Rome in 1997, they began as composers and players for theatre performances. The band is composed of three members: Luca Mai on baritone saxophone,...
, John Surman
John Surman
John Douglas Surman is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music as a basis...
, Scott Robinson
Scott Robinson (jazz musician)
Scott Robinson is an American jazz musician. Robinson is best known for his work with various styles of saxophone, but has also performed with the clarinet, flute, and sarrusophone, along with other, more obscure instruments....
, James Carter
James Carter (musician)
James Carter is an American jazz musician.Carter was born in Detroit, Michigan and learned to play there before moving to New York City. He has been prominent as a performer and recording artist on the jazz scene since the mid-1990s, playing saxophones, flute, and bass clarinet...
, Stephen "Doc" Kupka of the band Tower of Power
Tower of Power
Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...
, Nick Brignola
Nick Brignola
-Biography:He was born on July 17, 1936 in Troy, New York. Nick was born into a musical family in which his father played the tuba and his uncle played the banjo. As a mostly self-taught musician, he developed his facility on all of his instruments using unconventional techniques, which gave his...
, Clifton Hyde
Clifton Hyde
Clifton Hyde is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer currently working from and residing in New York City....
, Gary Smulyan
Gary Smulyan
Gary Smulyan is a jazz musician who plays baritone saxophone. He studied at SUNY before working with Woody Herman...
, Ronnie Cuber
Ronnie Cuber
Ronnie Cuber is a jazz saxophonist. He has also played in Latin, pop, rock and blues sessions. In addition to his primary instrument, baritone sax, he has also played tenor sax, soprano sax and flute, the latter on an album by Eddie Palmieri. As a leader, Cuber is known for hard bop and Latin jazz...
, Chad Makela, Frank Vacin, Claire Daly and Lauren Sevian. In the avant-garde scene, Andy Laster and Tim Berne
Tim Berne
Tim Berne is an American jazz saxophone player and composer.Described by critic Thom Jurek as commanding "considerable power as a composer and ... frighteningly deft ability as a soloist," Berne has composed and performed prolifically since the 1980s...
have doubled on bari. A Noted Scottish performer is Joe Temperley
Joe Temperley
Joe Temperley is a Scottish saxophonist. He has performed on various instruments but is most associated with the baritone saxophone and bass clarinet....
, who has appeared with Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
as well as with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. The Baritone Saxophone Band, a tribute to Gerry Mulligan, featured three baritone saxophonists: Ronnie Cuber, Gary Smulyan, and Nick Brignola.video
External links
- Instruments In Depth: The Saxophone An online feature with video demonstrations from Bloomingdale School of Music (June, 2009)
- Saxophone acoustics from the University of New South Wales
- Great Jazz Baritone Saxophonists and vintage horns A website with extensive information on popular baritone saxophonists, information regarding the baritone saxophone, and more.