Secondary Axes

[cookie]

Today, my pianist and I got together and played duo. Nothing unusual there---except for the fact that he played bass and I played piano. It was fun! We're even thinking of taking some dumb, cheap, little gigs that way just for the fun and novelty.

Who are some other, more well-known musicians who play or record regularly/semi-regularly on instruments besides their own? Who plays their secondary as well as their primary? There must be a bunch of folks. Would love to hear who you bring up!

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Rahsaan played his primary, secondary and tertiary all at once.

The members of Codona all played multiple instruments on all three of their albums.

Lots of guys played piano, though -- Mingus, Ben Webster, Lionel Hampton...

[gnhrtg]

I'm pretty sure there were earlier threads on this subject, never mind though, I can always use a little shuffling of my memory and learning from others.

Bob Brookmeyer - Valve trombone and piano. I do not know whether he kept recording on piano, haven't yet checked out any of his recent work, but he Brookmeyer was certainly more than good enough on both - though valve trombone will be remembered as his primary instrument, I think.

Actually, as Sqd. Steve says, lots of guys played piano, I would add Mulligan perhaps - though I don't think it's represented on record to the extent that Mingus's and Webster's playing is. Of course, there's also Anthony Braxton, Joe Maneri, and Sam Rivers - on reeds and piano, and a little more shrieky sax player who's a relative newcomer to recording on piano is Charles Gayle.

Now, I haven't seen but heard of Jerry Bergonzi being quite adept on bass (or was it another instrument?).

Then Keith Jarrett, though I do not know how well he can handle the soprano these days (or whether his soprano playing was ever considered as beyond curiosity value, but on the recent documentary, he says something like he had to take it up because he heard a certain sound in his head which no one else got out of the instrument, but he did).

Though a less radical doubler than most of the above, Joe Morris plays both guitar and bass with an equally individual sound.

Joe McPhee, as we know, plays the saxes and trumpet (and there we can also mention Ornette).

Mr. Gunter Hampel has appeared on record playing piano, vibes, and bass clarinet. I do not have much of his work so can't tell how good he is. All I have is Jubilation.

[David b.]

or Mark Wastell, playing the bass, cello, tam-tam, amplified textures...i guess i'm missing some more

[Jesse]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by gnhrtg

Then Keith Jarrett...on the recent documentary, he says something like he had to take it up because he heard a certain sound in his head which no one else got out of the instrument, but he did).

I have heard Jarrett's soprano sax playing and would agree, he heard & produced a sound on that axe no one else has...

[Ron Thorne]

The first two which come to mind are amazing mirror images, from two different generations, and each of whom worked together at Berklee:

Switches:

1. Gary Burton as a drummer

2. Alan Dawson as a vibist

[rene]

[QUOTE=Jesse]

I have heard Jarrett's soprano sax playing and would agree, he heard & produced a sound on that axe no one else has...

doesn't he 'sing' too while playing the piano?


jack de johnette plays the some piano too. (gateway trio-homecoming)

[Pete C]

I remember a thread about this a while back. I may have started it.

DeJohnette started out as a pianist.

Is Ira Sullivan a saxophonist or trumpeter? Which is his primary axe? I'm not sure which I prefer.

Benny Carter was an excellent trumpeter.

Eddie Durham & Jeb Bishop: Trombone & guitar

Don Thompson has 3 primary axes: bass, piano & vibes.

I think most vibes players doubled either on piano or drums. Bags recorded on piano, Hamp on drums.

[Il Anto]

Ornette Coleman also likes to play trumpet and violin

[Sergio Zamora]

It seems fairly common for a horn player to also occasionally play the piano, like Miles, Diz, etc.

For what I think are obvious reasons, the converse is not nearly as common. Jarret was mentioned, but I think a more successful example would be Jaki Byard. He wasn't a spectacular saxophonist, but based on what I've heard he held his own pretty well.

[gnhrtg]

I haven't heard Jaki Byard play but Joachim Kuhn plays some really mean alto sax.

[Uli]

Ray Nance, trumpet, violin, vocals!

[bostontricky]

Maynard Ferguson had some trouble with his teeth awhile back
that forced him to give up doubling on valve trombone and other
large brass instruments.

What's a trumpeter to do?

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Uli

Ray Nance, trumpet, violin, vocals!

Indeed, and though he was best known as a trumpeter, I think violin was his strongest axe.

[Jazzooo]

In jazz, I can get around well on piano, organ, bass, vibes and drums. Other styles, add guitar and a few others. Ron's been listening to my new album and can testify. I'm no Alan Dawson, though!

[cookie]

See the big guy with the glasses behind Maynard? That's Mike Dubaniewicz, a friend of mine from Syracuse who is now living back there. I'm going to hear him play tonight. But that's besides the point.

Jeez, I'm real sorry I brought up a thread that was brought up before. I may have even *been* the one who brought it up. I don't remember. Those snarky little comments kind of hurt. Please forgive me for not knowing every thread in the history of the board. I'm sorry that I'm a human and I forget stuff.

Oh, well. At least I got to see Dubaniewicz in a photo of Maynard playing soprano!!

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by cookie

Jeez, I'm real sorry I brought up a thread that was brought up before. I may have even *been* the one who brought it up. I don't remember. Those snarky little comments kind of hurt. Please forgive me for not knowing every thread in the history of the board. I'm sorry that I'm a human and I forget stuff.

Oh, don't be so sensitive. I was mentioning it in passing for information only, not as a recrimination. And I couldn't find the old thread anyway.

[cookie]

Sorry. Early in the morning and what came across was: "we've been through this before so why are we going 'round again?"

[Enforcer]

There's an old record I'm too lazy to look up, but I think it was a Jeff Beck recording, where Jan Hammer played drums. I remember being stunned at how good he sounded. It was fusion stuff, and Jan was credited with playing drums on a tune that I assumed was Billy Cobham or something. Really impressive chops for a guy who was known otherwise exclusively as a keyboardist.

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

There's an old record I'm too lazy to look up, but I think it was a Jeff Beck recording, where Jan Hammer played drums. I remember being stunned at how good he sounded. It was fusion stuff, and Jan was credited with playing drums on a tune that I assumed was Billy Cobham or something. Really impressive chops for a guy who was known otherwise exclusively as a keyboardist.

Similarly, I believe Narada Michael Walden is equally adept at piano and drums.

[Dan G]

There are a couple of musicians who play multiple instruments where I would have a hard time saying which was primary and which were secondary:

Hal Russell - drums, reeds, trumpet, xylophone, etc,

Milo Fine - drums, piano, clarinet


Then there's everyone in the Art Ensemble of Chicago and lots of other AACM guys who swithced around from their main axe to various percussion and other things,;

Muhal Abrams used to play clarinet, as did Han Bennink

Pretty much everyone who played in the NRG Ensemble before Ken Vandermark had to play multiple instruments (digeridoo was requirement for one album): Kent Kessler, Brian Sandstrom, etc, not sure if Jeb Bishop was ever in that band

And re: Pete C's comment about Jack DeJohnette starting as a pianist, he played it on one of the Special Edition records with Bowie and Abercrombie. Not bad either.

[clinthopson]

Victor Fledman was a marvelous pianist, vibeist and a fine composer. I loved it when he was with the Lighthouse gang.

Scott Robinson can play the shit out of anything with a reed.

Did anyone mention maybe the greatest doubler of all time - Benny Carter?

[Chris D]

Ben Webster could play some mean boogie-woogie piano.

[A. Kingstone]

In the middle of a Bill Frizell concert 15 years ago the whole band switched instruments and played a number.

[Jazzooo]

I've always wanted to be in a band that could do that, switch instruments in the middle of a show.

Chick Corea played some nice loose swinging drums on the last track of his Three Quartets album.

Richard Bona, the African bassist/singer, is also a very good guitarist and percussionist.

[Enforcer]

Originally Posted by Jazzooo

Chick Corea played some nice loose swinging drums on the last track of his Three Quartets album.

What? I didn't know that. You mean the last track on the original recording, or the later release that had previously unreleased material?

[efrendv]

- Joe Morris: guitar and double bass.
- Elliott Sharp: sax, guitar, bass, etc.
- Eyvind Kang: violin, viola, tuba, erhu, guitar, bass, keyboards, etc.
- John Zorn: alto sax, clarinet, piano and percussion.
- Marc Ribot: guitar and trumpet (or perhaps French horn?)
- Charles Gayle: sax and piano.
- Fred Frith: violin, guitar, bass, etc.
- Anthony Braxton: reeds and piano.
- John Lurie: sax, guitar (seemingly nothing right now)
- Doesn't Spanish drummer Jordy Rossy (Mehldau trio) play piano now?
- Steve Beresford: piano, trumpet, etc.
- Han Bennink: no comments.
- William Parker: bass, percussion (some reeds if I recall?)

That's all I can think of. How many of these are successful on their respective, "secondary" instruments is quite another story, I guess.

[GoodSpeak]

Here's a couple:

Gordon Goodwin [Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band]: Piano, soprano and tenor sax.
Mel Torme': Vocals and drums.
George Benson: Guitar and vocals.
Ornette Coleman: Tenor and toy trumpet.
Greg Adams[Tower of Power]: Trumpet and flugelhorn.
Mic Gillette [Tower of Power]: Trumpet, flugelhorn and trombone.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by efrendv

- Elliott Sharp: sax, guitar, bass, etc.


How many of these are successful on their respective, "secondary" instruments is quite another story, I guess.

I worked with Elliott on and off for about 4 years in the 80s, and I couldn't tell you what his "primary" instrument is, though most would probably say guitar. But 20-25 years ago he was playing a lot more reeds--bass clarinet, soprano & tenor.

Rossy goes by Jorge--is Jordy the Catalan equivalent?

[Nate Dorward]

Originally Posted by clinthopson

Scott Robinson can play the shit out of anything with a reed.

Yeah, & a mean thereminist to boot!