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favorite lead instrument?

topic posted Sun, January 21, 2007 - 10:46 AM by  ~lorenzo! 		Share/Save/Bookmark
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the great music of the era allowed for a variety of wonderful soloists to come to the fore. Are you more partial to clarinet, trumpet, sax, vibes, trombone, piano??? Comments?

Surprisingly, I can easily pick Chopin if we are talking about classical music, but when it comes to grand old jazz. . .it's harder to pick.
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~lorenzo!
offline ~lorenzo!
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  • Re: favorite lead instrument?

    Sun, January 21, 2007 - 10:57 AM
    That's a tough one! When I think of the pieces that make me feel all melty and wiggly and not quite in the world anymore though, they seem to involve piano: Avery Parrish's piano in "After Hours" and Duke Ellington's "Black and Tan" especially.

    Sax is good for that walking down dark alleys by yourself on a foggy day contemplating a possibly failed romance feeling. Clarinets are nicely insouciant, trumpets a bit too perky unless muted. Trombone is far too bombastic and vibes merely irritating. Did they even have vibes in jazz age jazz? I sort of thought that was a 60s thing....
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  • erwin
    erwin
    offline 19

    Re: favorite lead instrument?

    Sun, January 21, 2007 - 1:02 PM
    I'd pick Clarinet, just because clarinet has the best "sense of humor," by far. You hear a good uptempo clarinet solo in Classic Jazz and you can't help gettin giggly.

    Some people don't listen to jazz for the giggles, though...
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  • Jack
    Jack
    offline 23

    Re: favorite lead instrument?

    Sun, January 21, 2007 - 6:52 PM
    As much as my show focuses on early swing and hot jazz players, the solo was kind of a new concept back then...and even live, it was somewhat limited by time . I feel that once 78s were done with by the end of the 50s, the jazz solo really took on a definition of it's own. So for that, MIles Davis on Kinda Blue would be my ultimate choice - hard as it is to make such a thing.
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  • raz
    raz
    offline 84

    Re: favorite lead instrument?

    Thu, March 8, 2007 - 2:19 AM
    for me, John Coltrane was the best soloist ever, BUT
    too early for Coltrane.... so i'll pick Armstrong, of course
    his trumpet blows my mind
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    • Unsu...
       

      Re: favorite lead instrument?

      Thu, March 8, 2007 - 7:28 AM
      Benny Goodman if that is not too late.hahaha
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      • *Gra...
        *Gratephil*
        offline 77

        Re: favorite lead instrument?

        Thu, March 15, 2007 - 3:37 AM
        Miller muted his brass section to create a wonderful tension and allow the clarinet to soar over all like a gull over a Pacific storm..

        Goodman will be forever the hero of Nazi resistors in the 30's---and inspires all freedom loving fans of swing to this day.

        Coltrane personified "form is possibility"--and is, I feel, the most important musician of the century--yet could not evoke the romance of a Goodman or Miller. The Jazz Age inspired such dynamic arrangements and sentimemtal swing. It does us well to tell the stories....
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        • Re: favorite lead instrument?

          Thu, April 9, 2009 - 7:24 PM
          "Coltrane personified "form is possibility"--and is, I feel, the most important musician of the century--yet could not evoke the romance of a Goodman or Miller"

          Trane's ballad style is very similiar to some of the best of Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins. (although, I could name The Hawk's version of Body and Soul in one note) As to a favorite lead - that is tough - are you talking about 1919 to 1920, 1920 to 1930, 1930 to 1940, or post war? East Coast Bop or West Coast Cool? Smooth or Fusion? BIg band or Small Group? I can only pick a whole slew of solos and soloists whom I both revere and occasionally emulate. Being a woodwind player, I tend towards the reeds, but Miles' early work with the quintet is masterful, as is MIlt Jackson, Lionel Hampton, Django Reinhart, and even, believe it or not, James "Boots" Randolf and Ray Benson. (The last two are usually considered "country" musicians, but are both outstanding jazz players, as are Willie Nelson and Chet Adkins.)

          So, for all-time -pick one or die - I'd have to say tenor sax. At least right now -- but don't ask me again in five minutes! LOL
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