Your favourite solo woodwind recording

[sashabur]

Well, after exchanging opinions on certain solo woodwinds album with gnhrtg, I decided to put this question up here. My (today's) favourite of this kind is "Clinkers" by Steve Lacy. What is yours? What would you recommend to check out?

[Brian Olewnick]

Gotta go with the original, the one and only, the *GREAT* "For Alto". Still sounds incredible and the side-long quiet piece (I believe it's the one dedicated to Leroy Jenkins on the LP) could fit in remarkably well with current fringe saxophonics.

[stonemonkts]

I gotta go with Braxton too, but a different solo recording, the one from 1979: "Alto Sax Improvisations". It is not as startlingly brilliant as "For Alto" but I prefer it anyway (better sound, for one thing).

Honorable mention goes to Lacy's "More Monk".

[Pete C]

My (today's) favourite of this kind is "Clinkers" by Steve Lacy.

Mine too. I generally don't care for solo performances by any kind of horn player, but Lacy is an exception.

[Brian Olewnick]

I took Linda to a solo Steve Lacy show when we were dating, sometime in late 1978 I guess. She still hasn't let me forget it, numbering it among the most horrible experiences she's ever undergone and crediting herself for sticking with me despite my forcing her to submit to such "torture".

Wuss.

[Jim Dye]

Honorable mention goes to Lacy's "More Monk".

"More Monk" is at the top of my list.

I have to check out "Clinkers".

[walto]

I agree with Brian about the Brax, and I'd like to add Joachim Gies's solo outing on Leo--an unrecognized jewel, I think.

Of course, Roscoe Mitchell and Evan Parker have both made several great solo discs as well.

[Brian Olewnick]

Of course, Roscoe Mitchell and Evan Parker have both made several great solo discs as well.

For single performances, Mitchell's "Tkhke", from "Congliptious", ranks way up there for me, as do a couple of tracks from the Sackville solo album (notably "Eeltwo").

John Butcher's "Fixations (14)" on Emanem is superb, occasionally coming close to some amazing live solo things I've heard from him. I'm also very fond of recent solo reed discs by Thomas Ankersmit and Stephane Rives.

[Dan G]

Third vote for For Alto. A real experiment in its day, still sounds as current as it must have then. More diverse than many of his later solos.

And a second for Fixations (14).

Evan Parker's Six of One is spectacular - even if someone don't like the idea (what was that bagpipes comment?) the guy can't be faulted for technique.

Urs Liemgruber's Statement of an Antirider is very good.

And there's a Michel Doneda disc on Potlatch that I don't think too many people like but I do. Harsh loud, noisy soprona stuff. Can't remember the title - something like "Place d'air"

Haven't heard the Rives disc yet - it's on my buy list.

[Captain Hate]

Six of One is outstanding but I'm giving the nod to Conic Sections. I've probably listened to that more than any solo horn disc I own even though it's very demanding.

Regarding individual cuts, Joe McPhee's playing on Obscured on Spring Heel Jack's Amassed is very haunting.

[Jonathan Sutton]

Dan, Anatomie des Clefs, perhaps? I love that Doneda disc, too -- Places dans l'Air is a trio disc, which is also very good, with Bhob Rainey and Alessandro Bosetti.

There are way too many solo reed discs that I love to name absolute favorites. I assent to very many of the above. But let me add Vinny Golia's Clarient, which I don't think anyone has mentioned yet.

[gnhrtg]

I would agree with most of what has been said about Lacy, Braxton, and Parker (the positive bits). Even though I'd consider myself a fan of good solo woodwind records, there has been mention of some names/albums I'm not familiar with, which I will inquire about later. I quite enjoy parts of Ned Rothenberg's solo albums, I think I prefer "The Crux" over "Intervals" as I find the latter to be less engaging and a bit too inconsistent for my taste.

I'd rather not be predictable but I have to put in a word for Mats Gustafsson. Try to hear "Impropositions" and "Windows" before you make up your mind on Gustafsson. The former has more variety in terms of both the actual playing, conceptual approaches to the playing and instruments, and a bit more extraversion but I would give both my highest marks (in case you didn't know, Mats uses compositions of Lacy and one by Cecil Taylor - in addition to a couple of his own on "Windows" as a springboards).

[sashabur]

Try to hear "Impropositions" and "Windows" before you make up your mind on Gustafsson.

Yes! As far as Mats, there is also "The Education of Lars Jerry", but I like these two better, especially "Impropositions".

In different vein, Joe McPhee's "Tenor/Fallen Angels" is great. And, speaking of individual tracks, I'd also like to mention "Grenada", a solo by Frank Wright on one of "Solos & Duets" records.

Anyone heard "Berlin Reeds" compilation on Absinth? Is it worth tracking down?

[Brian Olewnick]

I should've mentioned "Windows" also--a very fine album.

[Jason Bivins]

I'd probably go with "For Alto," Evan Parker's "At the Finger Palace," or Lacy's "Remains" as my fave.

But I'm currently really digging the Rives disc Brian mentioned, and I'd be remiss if I didn't plug Scott Rosenberg's "V" (which I was glad to see Gokhan was enjoying recently).

[gnhrtg]

sashabur - "The Education of Lars Jerry", I think, is recorded rather poorly and I also find it to be the product of a narrower, one-track minded, approach than the other two - both of which I would rank, if I had to, way above this one. But that's just me of course.

Jason - Yes, I do listen to, and enjoy, "V" quite often nowadays. If it weren't for your review I would very likely have not gotten that one.

[LeMo]

Braxton "For Alto" stand as the seminal woodwind solo works.
And most of the records who's has been praise here, deserve it.

I like to add to this list the followings:

- Kaoru Abe: "Solo. 1972.1.21" (PSFD)

- Lee Konitz: "Lone Lee" (Steeple Chase)

- Lol Coxhill: "The Dunois Solo" (Nato)

- Evan Parker: "Chicago Solo" (Okka)

- Denis Colin: "Clarinette bass seul" (In Situ)

- Jacques Foschia: "Dry. Solo Clarinettes" (Self Production)

- Gianni Gebbia: "Arcana Major/ Sonic Tarot Session" (Rastascan/ StereoSupremo)

- Ken Vandermark: "Furniture Music" (Okka)

- Larry Stabbins: "Monadic" (Emanem)

And, for eleven tracks on "Free Fall" (Columbia, CD version), Jimmy Giuffre clarinet solo demonstrate that he is the first true consistent pionneer of the woodwind solo.

[Dan G]

Windows is, for me, the choice for Gustafsson. Impropositions seems too much like a showcase of everything he can do, whereas this one is more focussed.

And LeMO, good call on the Gebbia Tarot Session! I love it. His earlier solos on Splasch and Rastascan were pretty nice, but this one is the product of a much more mature artist.

Jason - is Remains the album with the solo Tao cycle (I am absolutely pathetic with remembering titles these days, and too lazy to go look)? If so, my favorite Lacy (with or without a band)

[Jason Bivins]

Dan, yup that's the one. I just love it.

And seconds on LeMo's Giuffre reference - those pieces are really inspirational and, back when I was doing solo performances semi-regularly, I used to listen to them as models of the craft.

[Nate Dorward]

Anyone heard "Berlin Reeds" compilation on Absinth? Is it worth tracking down?Yes, it's worth hearing. A review here: http://www.squidco.com/cgi-bin/news/newsView.cgi?newsID=210

[jmje]

Yeah, For Alto still sounds great after all these years;
Also:
- Roscoe Mitchell, Noonah (single cut Erika, the rest is a little ponderous, for meanyway)
- Kyle Bruckman, solo oboe, entymology
- Peter Brotzman's 1st FMP solo LP (the short opening track could be his theme song)
- this might not count, but: Matthew Welch, bagpipe, Braxton compositions on Parallactic

[Jonathan Sutton]

I am just listening to David Liebman's "Colors" on Hatology, and it's a must buy for rabid solo sax fans such as myself (he's on tenor throughout).

[Gordon B]

I vote for Lacy's "Actuality."

[sashabur]

I've just dug up "Premonition" by Ellery Eskelin, and while it's not as extreme as many things mentioned above on this thread, I think it's quite cool.

[tom]

1. Steve Lacy / Clinkers
2. Steve Lacy / Actuality
3. Anthony Braxton / For alto

[SilentKnowledge]

John Butcher's London & Cologne, as well as Fixations (14)

For Alto is another one & the only solo Lacy disc that I have heard was Hooky.

[hermann]

It seems, that I prefer some quiet tones at time. So it's this, bought at Moers:

Ned Rothenberg --> Intervals solo work for woodwinds, 2001

[Phil_Meloy]

Private City (ECM) - John Surman

[gnhrtg]

It seems, that I prefer some quiet tones at time. So it's this, bought at Moers:

Ned Rothenberg --> Intervals solo work for woodwinds, 2001

I also like this one quite a lot and had to look around for about a year, if not more, before finally finding a copy.

On individual tracks, I remember being thoroughly captivated by Joe McPhee's "Hate Crime Cries" off "Emancipation Proclamation."

[Richardo Caerleoni]

Are we talking complete albums or tracks?

If tracks...Eric Dolphy "God Bless the Child" - Bass Clarinet - NO competition!

http://www.georgerussell.com/gfx/dolphy.jpg

[gnhrtg]

Are we talking complete albums or tracks?

If tracks...Eric Dolphy "God Bless the Child" - Bass Clarinet - NO competition!



Both, as far as I can make out. How very modest of you, by the way.

[Richardo Caerleoni]

Both, as far as I can make out. How very modest of you, by the way.

Modesty is a very old European virtue. Which is why the Grand-Place has a covered walkway...[Brussels is a beautiful city] Once learnt, never...etc…Still think Eric cut the main track...modestly by a large margin!

[frankiepop]

evan parker - conic sections

[Paul B]

Lacy/Lapis
Lacy/Clinkers
Braxton/For Alto

Though Giuffre never made a solo album, on many of the trio dates he plays solo cuts. His solo playing is always superb.

Butcher, Gustaffson, Vandermark, McPhee and the others are great, and have broken some ground in solo performance (mostly through use of new extended techniques), but in the end they don't hold a candle to Mr. Lacy, or Mr. Braxton at his best.

Bye-ya.

[rpcjazz]

Oliver Nelson's tenor solo on "Stolen Moments" from his "Blues and the Abstract Truth" project.

[D.D.]

Was searching for forgot-what now and stumbled upon this thread. A couple of my favorities, that haven't been mentioned, I think:

Peter Brötzmann - "14 love poems" (FMP) - some of the most varied Brötzmann playing, and my favortie Brötzmann album overall

John Butcher - "13 Friendly numbers" (Unsounds); all of solo Butchers are good, but this is my favorite, due to stunning beauty of the overdubbed pieces

Bhob Rainey - "Ink." (Sachimay) - quiet sounds

Daunik Lazro - "Zong Book" (Emouvance) - up there with Gustafsson when it comes to baritone blowing

Urs Leimgruber - "Blue log". Ten pieces for saxophone" (For 4 ears) - the most precise and focused solo reeds music

Herman Bühler - "Alto solo" (Sueca) - recent surprising discovery. Post-Parker stuff, great technique and imagination, and even occasional lyricism.

Fans of Evan Parker solo soprano works should check out Arial Shibolet - "Metal tubes and consciousness" (Leo). Great technique (better than Parker, as far as I can judge... faster and more precise, at least) and more ideas (like three, instead of Parker's two).

And Braxton, of course. I particularly like his solo "Koln" on Leo (which just went OOP, btw). I probably prefer Braxton solo best.

Matthew Welch has an incredible solo bagpipes CD called "Hag at the churn" (newsonic). I had no idea bagpipes can sound like this.

And Mark Whitecage - "Turning Point" (Acoustics). Whitecage is somehow rarely mentioned, but IMO he is one of the alto giants, and here he also toys with electronic effects quite successfully.

I am also interested in checking out the recent Earl Howard release on Mutable. Didn't like his disc on Erstwhile with Maroney, but the sound samples of this solo release sounded interesting.

Just-released Jon Gibs - "Criss X Cross" (Tzadik) is not uninteresting - some minimalist circular structures - but not on the level of the above-mentioned records.

[shrugs]

For Alto

with Lacy it's difficult to pinpoint one recording. I think Clinkers is fine but so is the solo section of the vinyl only Ballets. And how about the Duke tribute released a few years back?

[huntersthompson7]

unfortunately i haven't heard a lot of Lacy but from the solo albums Ive heard...granted not THAT many...I'd say Roscoe Mitchell's "Solo" the triple album he put out little over a year ago for Muteable music...
i actually prefer it over For Alto...as i prepare for the backlash of that statement

[john williams]

Haven't heard most of the above but I like Sam Rivers "Portrait" record very much. However there is some piano on the disk also so I don't know if that one counts. Fantastic disk though! The tenor/soprano sax explorations are simply stunning!

The only other solo woodwind records I have are both Evan Parker disks; "Lines Burnt in Light" and "Process and Reality". Both are very good.

[Tom Marcello]

Tommy Smith - INTO SILENCE

http://www.spartacusrecords.com/prodimages/STS003big.gif

Tommy Smith - tenor & soprano saxophones & bells

This recording features 25 improvisations, folk songs, ballads and some Gregorian Chants within the beautiful and haunting reverberation of the Hamilton Mausoleum.

http://www.spartacusrecords.com/proddetail.php?prod=sts003

[amfortas]

Anthony Braxton For Alto
http://www.emd.pl/muzyka/b/braxton_anthony/ab4a.jpg
Evan Parker:Chicago Solo
http://okkadisk.com/images/chicagosolo_cov.jpg

[amfortas]

http://www.suonieritmi.com/catalog/images/5ututtuf.jpg
http://www.fmp-online.de/fmpcds/gfx/fmpcd112.jpg

[amfortas]

http://www.emanemdisc.com/E4045.jpeg
http://home.gwu.edu/~flota/f03128k0dkv.jpg

[amfortas]

Didnt like the singing, though still very interesting disc.
Sam Rivers, Portrait (fmp)
http://www.fmp-online.de/fmpcds/gfx/fmpcd082.jpg

[amfortas]

Mats Gustafsson:
Impropostions
http://homepage2.nifty.com/tofu-tokiwa/impropositions.gif
Education Of Lars Jerry
http://tisue.net/orourke/covers/larsjerry.gif

[barryC]

http://tzadik.com/data/covers/7615-2.jpg
though it does contain a few duos - the one with zorn is particularly amazing - these where great solo records from ned rothenberg.

Zorn's Classic Guide To Stratagies vol1, 2 & 3
my favorites by a long shot

[Paul B]

With Lacy it's difficult to pinpoint one recording. I think Clinkers is fine but so is the solo section of the vinyl only Ballets. And how about the Duke tribute released a few years back?

Quite right shrugs. And there are too many to mention, really. But a few others that can still be easily had on CD are Snips, Hooky, and Live at the Unity Temple. The latter probably gets the most play from me these days.

Bye-ya

[amfortas]

http://tzadik.com/data/covers/7615-2.jpg
though it does contain a few duos - the one with zorn is particularly amazing - these where great solo records from ned rothenberg.

Zorn's Classic Guide To Stratagies vol1, 2 & 3
my favorites by a long shot
This Rothenberg was good too.....:
Crux
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000281UK.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[bernardlyons]

Have a listen to an early Paul Dunmall solo

Soliloquy (Matchless)

and a relatively recent

Solo Bagpipes II (DLE 012)

[stonemonkts]

Worth seeking out:

http://www.fmp-online.de/fmpcds/gfx/freemusic_whispering_blue.jpg

Joachim Gies - Whispering Blue (Leo)

[SilentKnowledge]

I consider this disc to be absolutely stunning:


http://www.potlatch.fr/records/303/303.jpg

Other few favorites:

http://www.squidco.com/miva/graphics/products/misc2/brotzmann14LovePoems.jpg

http://efi.group.shef.ac.uk/labels/unit/utr4050.gif

http://efi.group.shef.ac.uk/labels/bluechop/bc4.jpg I also enjoyed his latest: Catapult

http://www.sefronia.com/image-album/Zongbook.jpg

http://www.melgun.net/discography/zona.jpg

[amfortas]

http://efi.group.shef.ac.uk/labels/bluechop/bc4.jpg
Yes, this was excellent, havent heard the Catapult one though.

[tom]

Quite right shrugs. And there are too many to mention, really. But a few others that can still be easily had on CD are Snips, Hooky, and Live at the Unity Temple. The latter probably gets the most play from me these days.

Bye-ya

The 2-disc 'Solo at Egg Farm' is also one of my favorites. You can order it through The Egg Farm website. Mail to Mr. Kazuko Saito.

http://www.ikn.co.jp/spacewho/



http://senators.free.fr/Listen/Covers/large_Covers/cd/BluesForAida.JPG

[pollo loco]

Note "favorite."

Bob Efford's bass clarinet on Bill Holman's arr. of Jimmy Rowles's "The Peacocks."

Pollo Loco

[rollhead]

It's not a solo album, but Joe Henderson's solo version of "Lush Life" on the album of the same name immediately comes to mind.

[Kreilly]

unfortunately i haven't heard a lot of Lacy but from the solo albums Ive heard...granted not THAT many...I'd say Roscoe Mitchell's "Solo" the triple album he put out little over a year ago for Muteable music...
i actually prefer it over For Alto...as i prepare for the backlash of that statement

Another vote for Roscoe Mitchell's "Solo (3)" and honorable mention to Sonny Simmons' "Jewels".

[Tim Price]

There's a few rare ones;

Bishop Norman Williams solo alto....it's stunning!!!
( might have to get it right from him tho' in SF )

And yes, The Tommy Smith is excellent as is Mike Marcus CD.

[Kreilly]

Can you elaborate on Bishop Norman Williams' cd? Style? And where can one get it?

[Tim Price]

The Bishop is a SanFran alto player based in bop and post bop stuff.

I got mine from him, I'll check and see if he send any to the East coast shops.
He's a running buddy of John Handy and Sonny Simmons. That kinda intense alto player.

I was_lucky_to get mine andI think you might be able to order from him, I think.
I'll check. Give me a few days.:cool:

[Kreilly]

A friend just sent me a very interesting solo alto record "Winter 1972" by Kaoru Abe. Anyone else familiar with this guy?

Kevin

[Sergio Zamora]

A friend just sent me a very interesting solo alto record "Winter 1972" by Kaoru Abe. Anyone else familiar with this guy?

Yeah, he rocks

[bayridgecat]

Sunny Murray
Milford Greaves
Andrew Cyrille
Ed Blackwell
Joe Chambers
Shadow Wilson
Frankie Dunlop
Billy Hart
Victor Lewis
Louis Hayes

[bayridgecat]

Sorry, I'm a first time poster and put the previous message in the wrong place by mistake.

[pollo loco]

It's O. K., man. So long as you mention Shadow Wilson, it's O. K. forever.

Pollo Loco