30 Minutes of Great Blues: A Modern Sax Compilation

Looking for some great blues saxophone music? Check out our compilation of some of the best modern blues sax tracks!

Introduction

This is a compilation of some of the best modern blues saxophone playing. I made this for anyone who wants to listen to some great blues without having to sift through hours of music. I limited this to one song per artist, and tried to get a good mix of up-and-comers and established artists. I hope you enjoy!

The Best of the Best

The saxophone is a beautiful instrument that can be played in a variety of genres. In this article, we will be focusing on the blues. The blues is a genre of music that originated in the African-American community in the southern United States. It is a style of music that is characterized by a strong beat, and often features electric guitar and harmonica.

Kenny G

Kenny G is a world renowned saxophonist who has achieved success in both the pop and jazz genres. He has released many chart-topping albums and singles, and has won numerous awards, including Grammys. His signature smooth sound has made him one of the most popular saxophonists of all time.

Dave Koz

Dave Koz is an American smooth jazz saxophonist. He was born in 1963 in Encino, California, to Jewish parents, Norman, a pharmacist, and Audrey Koz, a retired nurse. Dave has a brother, Jeff, who is also a musician. His grandfather’s family emigrated from Ukraine.

Koz graduated from UCLA with a degree in mass communications in 1986. While he was a student at UCLA, he became a member of the school’s jazz band. He also worked as a sideman with Bobby Caldwell and later with Jeff Lorber. In 1988, he released his first album, Dave Koz: Off the Beaten Path. He has released twenty albums overall including his most recent release The Best of the Best – 30 Minutes of Great Blues: A Modern Sax Compilation which was released in 2019.

Koz has won nine Grammy Awards and has been nominated for sixteen others. He has also won twelve National Smooth Jazz Awards and three American Songwriting Awards.

Grover Washington Jr.

Grover Washington Jr. was an American jazz, R&B, and soul musician. He was a multi-instrumentalist who played clarinet, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone. His father was a policeman and his mother was a choir singer. Washington started playing the saxophone when he was in high school and he later attended Juilliard School. After school, he played with various bands including the Ray Bryant Combo and the Horace Silver Quintet. He also performed on several recordings with artists such as Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. In 1974, Washington released his debut album “Mister Magic” which peaked at #35 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album contained the hit single “Love TKO” which reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Washington went on to release over 20 albums throughout his career. He won two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Just the Two of Us” (1981) and “Winelight” (1982). Washington died of a heart attack in 1999 at the age of 56.

The New Generation

This is a compilation of some of the best modern blues saxophonists. It is an hour-long mix of great tracks featuring some of the most creative and innovative saxophone players of the last few years.

Joshua Redman

Joshua Redman (born February 1, 1969) is an American saxophonist and composer who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.

Redman was born in Berkeley, California, to saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Melanie Harvard. He was exposed to many kinds of music at an early age because his father toured regularly with Ornette Coleman’s band during Joshua’s childhood. In an interview with NPR, he recalled “I would hang out backstage and see all of these incredible musicians – Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Billy Higgins – just hanging out and playing all the time. I didn’t really understand what it meant to be a jazz musician then, but I certainly knew that it was something special.”

Redman graduated from Berkeley High School in 1987 and entered Harvard University intending to study medicine. He quickly switched to studying music instead and dropped out after one year in order to pursue a career as a jazz musician. After a period of uncertainty about his future, he began studying at Berklee College of Music in 1990 before accepting a scholarship from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts later that year. In 1992 he won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition which helped kickstart his career.

Branford Marsalis

Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. He has recorded and performed with his own quartet, the Branford Marsalis Quartet as well as with the Art Blakey Quintet, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Miles Davis, Sting and Herbie Hancock. Branford also leads the ensemble Marsalis Music which comprises musicians who have collaborated with him for many years.

Marsalis was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. He is the son of Ellis Louis Marsalis Jr. (1934–2020), a pianist and music instructor, and Dolores Ferdinand (née Marsalis; born 1933), a singer. Branford’s brothers Jason (born 1955), Wynton (born 1961), Delfeayo (born 1965), Mboya (1969–1972), and Ellis III (born 1974) are also jazz musicians; father Ellis is a member of the New Orleans Jazz Hall of Fame.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this compilation is a great way to enjoy thirty minutes of current blues saxophone music. While it is not a definitive collection of modern blues saxophone music, it is a great starting point for those who are interested in the genre. This compilation features some of the most popular and acclaimed modern blues saxophonists, and is sure to get your toes tapping.