Low Eh!

I often have students who are interested in getting into jazz who haven’t had much experience listening to jazz. This list is what I recommend to students who need direction to start to figure out what they want to sound like. I’ll save the deep dives for a future post. Haha!

Here are five recordings, in no particular order, that I recommend to tenor saxophone players as a launching point for their listening.

1. Hank Mobley – Soul Station

Soul Station is a staple for all tenor players in my book. Great solos, great time feel, and overall is a really listenable recording for new jazz ears.

2. Sonny Rollins – The Sound Of Sonny

I love the Sonny’s melodic and rhythmic inventiveness. The tunes are singable, and Sonny shows how exciting he can be – developing beautiful solos while not stretching out over long solos.

3. Joe Henderson – Lush Life

Joe Henderson’s command of the instrument is, in my opinion, something that every (tenor) saxophonist should strive to achieve. I hope that when I recommend this recording, the saxophonists hear how he uses the entire instrument effortlessly. Also, the tone, and how effective playing at all volumes can be.

4. Dexter Gordon – Our Man In Paris

I’m a huge Dexter Gordon devotee, and how he brought the language of Charlie Parker to the tenor saxophone is so important in the lineage of the tenor saxophone concept. This recording has some of the longest solos, and shows a great blend of long lines combined with bebop rhythms.

5. Stan Getz – Anniversary

For me, this is Stan Getz at his finest form – the solos are thoughtful and paced so beautifully. I also love his tone on these last recordings. It’s so colourful, and I love these later recordings, because he carries his whole history in that sound.

These are just five recordings (of many), that I recommend to my students.

What are your go-to recommendations to new jazz listeners?