Let’s Talk About Sax …

Today is National Saxophone Day!

If you think about it, the saxophone is one of the most important instruments in pop music. As I think about some of the great early rock and roll songs, almost all of them had saxophone solos in them. Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner, and many other artists used a saxophone in their songs. I could probably post about 100 links to songs that have great sax solos!

Even well into the 80’s, songs featured the saxophone. Careless Whisper by Wham, Just the Two of Us by Bill Withers, Who Can it Be Now by Men at Work, Urgent by Foreigner, and The Heat Is On by Glenn Frey all have a prominent sax in them. Heck, even Kenny G had instrumental hits in the 80’s.

In honor of National Saxophone Day, how about a few songs you may know and a few you don’t that feature the sax ….

Hand Clappin’ – Red Prysock

My dad introduced me to this one! Wow!

In The Mood – The Glenn Miller Orchestra

A classic

Walkin’ With Mr. Lee – Lee Allen

One of the great 50’s instrumentals

Honky Tonk Part 2 – Bill Doggett

Another great 50’s cut

Sax Alley – The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen

Five To Go – Nebraska Wind Ensemble

Ok, I know you probably don’t know this one. I played this my Junior year of high school. Some cool cats played the sax on this one. Hearing this takes me back to 1987!