JazzWax List: 8 Pop Sax Solos

Rock, pop and disco tracks of the '60s, '70s and '80s were routinely peppered by horns. The saxophone, in particular, was most often added to give a slick track an earthy authenticity. In many cases, the sax solo would be written into the song's break halfway through to provide a funky feel. Or it would come at the end, to pick up where the vocal left off. [Pictured: Roger Ball of Average White Band]

Here are eight pop saxophone solos that come to mind. Have others? Please add them to the Comments section:

• Roger Ball—Pick Up the Pieces (Average White Band)
• Ronald Bell—Too Hot (Kool and the Gang)
• John Davis—When Love Is New (Arthur Prysock)
• Sonny Rollins—Waiting on a Friend (Rolling Stones)
• Wayne Shorter—Aja (Steely Dan)
• Junior Walker—Shotgun (Junior Walker and the All Stars)
• Phil Woods—Just the Way You Are (Billy Joel)
• George Young—Daybreak (Vicki Sue Robinson)

Comments

[David]

Michael Brecker / Paul Simon - "Still Crazy After All These Years"

Pete Christlieb / Steely Dan - "Deacon Blues"

[Allen Lowe]

Curtis Amy, Touch Me Babe, the Doors (IIRC)

[Keith Hedger]

Ronnie Ross - Lou Reed - 'Walk on the Wild Side'

keith

[Dan Holmes]

Stan Getz - Huey Lewis - "Small World, Pt. 2"

[Chrisgreenejazz]

Gerald Albright on Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots."

[Bill Kirchner]

Gregory Herbert--Bunny Sigler--"Don't Even Try";
Fred Lipsius--Blood, Sweat & Tears--"God Bless the Child"

[Jan Stevens]

Phil Woods - "Doctor Wu" (Steely Dan)

[Joel Lewis]

Tom Scott -- "Jazzman" -- carole King

Bobby Keys -- "Brown Sugar" -- Rolling Stones

[Marc A. Freeman]

Zoot Sims - "Poetry Man" (Phoebe Snow)
Fred Lipsius - "Lisa Listen to Me" (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
David Sanborn - "Sweet Disposition" (Phoebe Snow)

[Ray Tindell]

Charles DeChant, beautiful tenor solo on "One on One" Hall & Oates

[Paulo Moreira]

Cornelius Bumpus - "Florida Room" - (Donald Fagen)
Chris Potter - "West of Hollywood" - (Steely Dan)
Michael Brecker - "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" - (James Taylor)

[Jon Foley]

Phil Woods on Aretha Franklin's "Somewhere," with a great Quincy Jones chart.

[C Fine]

David Bowie on Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side"

[John Herr]

Phil Kenzie (whoever he is, some Brit session man probably) with the alto break(s) on Al Stewart's hauntingly atmospheric platinum '77 "Year of the Cat". One of those tunes you can't get out of yr head.

[tom cheek]

Jim Pepper on "Spooky" is one of my all time favorites. He made $50 bucks for that great solo.

[Dave James]

Sam "The Man" Taylor authored the sax solo on Buddy Holly's gorgeous '50's ballad, True Love Ways. That one gives me goose bumps every time I hear it.

[Gerry]

Dozens of tunes by The English Beat--e.g., "Save It For Later." (Sorry, I don't have the saxophonist's name at hand.)

[Greg Lee]

Gotta second the motion for Curtis Amy on the Doors' track....and I'll add Tom Scott who plays all over Joni Mitchell's COURT & SPARK.

[J]

War, "Low Rider": there is a fantastic alto saxophone solo near the end