SOPRANO SPOTLIGHT The soprano saxophone can produce a wide variety of sounds and inhabit myriad musical contexts. Kenneth Morris Sopranoprofiles a selection of his favourite soprano performers spotlight At the commencement of the 20th century there were few soprano saxophonists around other than in French, Belgian and US military bands. As we move inexorably into the 21st century there are literally many thousands of them – and the number is growing, fast. This article is my take on why such an expansion has occurred. My reason for personalising this essay is that I will mention only those I have actually heard (live, broadcast over the radio or on record), met or whose published material I have used. Having bought my first saxophone (a beat-up, high-pitch, very dodgy soprano from a second-hand shop in Bournemouth for £5 while on holiday in 1945 aged 11) it wasn’t long before I came across both Sidney Bechet and Marcel Mule. Bechet (1897-1954), a New Orleans-born clarinet player, had discovered the superior volume delivered by the soprano. This suited his ‘traditional’ jazz repertoire, his somewhat noisier band compatriots and his prolific improvisational skill. Mule (1901-2001), who started on sax at the age of eight, was initially a provincial French school teacher, but World War One brought him to Paris and military service with the Fifth Infantry and his regiment’s military band. In 1923, as a member of La Musique de la Garde Republicaine’s band and its saxophone soloist (probably majoring on alto), he commenced a lifelong career encompassing performance (in all genres and almost worldwide – Sidney Bechet classical, dance-band and jazz, including improvisation) and saxophone teaching (private lessons, a professorship at the Paris Conservatoire, publication of tutors/ exercises and directorship of masterclasses). Possibly most important among Mule’s achievements During the period between the were devising a methodology to obtain optimum saxophone intonation and sound quality; initiating transcriptions and two world wars and immediately compositions by inspiring other composers to write for saxophone; and establishing the saxophone quartet (SATB post-World War Two, saxophone form) in 1927 within which he played the soprano part. His Quatuor de Saxophones de Paris lasted 40 years. Readers of quartet activity provided a great The Cambridge Guide to the Saxophone will be aware that in the late 19th century Jean-Baptiste Singelee had composed deal of support for the soprano and published one AATB and two SATB pieces, and that in the last quarter of the 19th century a saxophonist, Edouard Lefebre, led some quartet activity using transcriptions at least until 1905. I can find no record of who actually played any of these early Bob Wilber soprano parts. Bechet influenced a number of followers, all of whom managed to ‘soften’ the Bechet vibrato: Johnny Hodges, Don Redman, Bob Wilber and Kenny Davern (the latter two forming the active and very popular group Soprano Summit in the 1970s). Others choosing to play soprano, but not as frequently as Wilber and Davern, were Charlie Barnet and Woody Herman. These stalwarts bridge the period of 1925 to 1945 (and beyond, for Bob and Kenny), indicating a gap of soprano activity in the ‘swing era’ save the continuum of ‘traditional’ and ‘mainstream’ veterans. Fans of the Firehouse Five + Two might remember their soprano player George Probert. Several commentators extend Bechet’s influence as far forward as John Coltrane, but personally I’m not convinced – their argument being based on ‘Trane’s requests for Bechet’s records at an early point in his ‘post-bop’ career. 22 Clarinet & Saxophone, Winter 2018 www.cassgb.org SOPRANO SPOTLIGHT Whether Coltrane was in his post-bop, modal or free-jazz style, his performance on soprano set light to a veritable bonfire of interest in the instrument. It is my opinion that apart from ‘Trane’s game- changing stylistic innovations, two additional factors underpin the soprano ‘explosion’, in particular with tenorists. First, they enable the player to substantially differentiate their sound from the hoards of other tenorists; second, the instrument is built in the same key, obviating any need to transpose. Lucky Thompson, Oliver Nelson, Zoot Sims (and altoist Cannonball Adderley), all of whom were inspirational improvisers, have recorded splendid tracks using soprano. The number of jazz sop sax solo virtuosi, many inspired by ‘Trane, have progressively grown internationally since the mid- 60s. In the UK, Evan Parker has developed his own style of free improvisation which combines circular breathing with torrents of sound (stemming from false fingering/multi-phonics/altissimo John Coltrane shrieks and much else). John Surman, principally a baritonist, has also recorded impressive soprano material in his unique avant- Mule, during his period at the Paris Conservatoire (1942-68), garde style. In the 70s, the soprano became audible in the pop was so influential as to warrant quite lengthy articles, essays scene, again internationally. My first memory is of the very tasteful and even books on his saxophonic activities. Suffice it to say that Grover Washington (USA, on the album Winelight), followed by while few of his hundreds of (incredibly successful – 87 ‘First Wayne Shorter and Branford Marsalis, also Americans. The latter Prize’ winners!) pupils specialised in the soprano, whenever and two have done a great deal to extend the use of the ‘straight wherever they performed on horn’ across multiple genres of our subject instrument they During my tenure as a record music. Shorter, ex Miles Davis delivered the best possible Quintet and Weather Report, results from the instruments now a musical director and guest of the day, which were far reviewer for this magazine artist, has garnered no less than inferior to the models available 10 Grammy awards for his work. now. Some names from his I have heard many exquisite My favourite ‘pop’ item is his tutelage: Daniel Deffayet, Claude fleeting appearance on the Joni Delangle, Jean-Marie Londeix, players of the soprano in Mitchell ‘Both Sides Now’ track Frederick Hemke and Eugene on the album of the same name. Rousseau. Richard Ingham, who almost every possible setting Marsalis, a formidable soloist edited and contributed to the in any style, has recorded some superb Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone, provides much quite beautiful classical-style solos with the English Chamber more useful detail on the influence of Mule, his pupils and his Orchestra (1986, Romances for Saxophone) and the Orpheus huge contribution to saxophone quartet works. Chamber Orchestra (2001, Creation). I very much doubt that During the period between the two world wars and immediately anything he has ever released on soprano is less than perfect. post-World War Two, saxophone quartet activity provided a great During my tenure as a record reviewer for this magazine I have deal of support for the soprano. A few composers had penned heard many exquisite players of the soprano in almost every classical solo pieces (Richard Strauss’s Sinfonica Domestica, possible setting. I hope that sharing some of these experiences Ravel’s Bolero and Vincent d’Indy’s Fervaal opera), but my own will be useful to readers both new and old. In the SATB saxophone experience of the instrument outside jazz commenced with quartet department, some extraordinarily high-quality CDs have BBC transmissions and shellac recordings of the Michael Krein come my way. The Scottish Sax Ensemble’s Mrs Malcolm from Saxophone Quartet (c. 1945) and output from Paul Harvey’s Largo Music (2012) tops my list for technique, content and overall London Saxophone Quartet (1969-85). For the Krein I was still too musicality – much to do with Richard Ingham’s compositions, young to note who was who on soprano – but both were excellent direction and playing lead soprano, along with two other groups with interesting repertoires. Looking back over the middle saxophonists who can double on sop! The Apollo Saxophone of the 20th century, I believe it was the availability of classical, Quartet (Rob Buckland, Carl Raven, Andy Scott and Jim Fieldhouse) ➡ chamber and popular song transcriptions for quartet that kept the soprano alive in the UK with similar material perhaps even more Evan Parker successful on the continent and in the USA, benefiting from input from local composers/arrangers and publishers. It was probably Steve Lacy (1934-2004) who initiated, c. 1955- 56, the explosion of soprano saxophone performance in the jazz arena, although I’m ashamed to admit I never noticed him at the time. Even worse, a very recent trawl through 30-odd YouTube clips from his vast catalogue of mainly free jazz work has left me unimpressed on account of the absence of musicality. Obviously a gifted technician with an attractive sonority and very novel use of intervals, co-artistes and track structures, I nevertheless find his work beyond my ‘ken’. However, John Coltrane must have heard of Steve’s activities on the ‘straight horn’ by the time he recorded My Favorite Things (for Atlantic Records in 1960 when leading his own group), using soprano instead of tenor for the first time. www.cassgb.org Clarinet & Saxophone, Winter 2018 23 SOPRANO SPOTLIGHT Wikipedia carries several listings of saxophone players which confirm the existence worldwide of many hundreds of professionals who at least double on soprano. There must now be many dozens of competent soprano players in the UK alone, and it is encouraging to note in the last year or so that I’ve heard absolutely masterful performances from John Harle, Christian Forshaw, Tommaso Starace, Nicola Pennill (part of Equinox), Jennifer Watson (a particularly talented multi-instrumentalist/ composer and a former pupil of Rob Buckland) and Jess Gillam (in 2016, aged only 17, the first saxophonist to win the woodwind final of the BBC’s Young Musician competition and, at 19, a featured soloist at the 2018 Last Night of the Proms with a rendition of Milhaud’s Scaramouche).