Saxophone Family - Uses - Ensembles

Ensembles

A well-known implementation of the saxophone is modern jazz music, with the saxophone being one of the signature sounds of jazz. This is usually as a solo instrument with a rhythm section, but sometimes in the form of a saxophone quartet or big band. The alto sax was popularized in jazz music in the 1940s and 1950s by the pioneering virtuosity of Charlie Parker, whose bebop style of playing would deeply influence the next two generations of jazz musicians, in particular saxophonists. The alto sax was also popularized in the 1950s by top saxophonists such as Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Criss and Paul Desmond (latter of the Dave Brubeck Quartet). The tenor sax, which some consider to be the more popular form of saxophone as a solo instrument in jazz, was popularized by jazz greats such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Zoot Sims. The baritone sax, featured more in big bands and military bands than as a solo instrument, was popularized in jazz as a solo instrument win small groups by musicians such as Serge Chaloff, Gerry Mulligan and Pepper Adams.

The saxophone also commonly features in blues music, soul, rhythm and blues, reggae, ska, and is a staple of funk music.

The saxophone quartet is usually made up of one B♭ soprano, one E♭ alto, one B♭ tenor and one E♭ baritone (SATB). On occasion, the soprano is replaced with a second alto sax (AATB); a few professional saxophone quartets have featured non-standard instrumentation, such as James Fei's Alto Quartet (four altos) and Hamiet Bluiett's Bluiett Baritone Nation (four baritones).

There is a repertoire of classical compositions and arrangements for the SATB instrumentation dating back to the nineteenth century, particularly by French composers who knew Adolphe Sax. A list of well known current saxophone quartets includes the Amherst, Amstel, Anubis, Apollo, Aurelia, Carlsbad, Prism, H2, Habanara, Hanumi, Mana, Raschèr, Rova, and Zzyzx Quartets. Historically, the quartets led by Marcel Mule and Daniel Deffayet, saxophone professors at the Conservatoire de Paris, were started in 1928 and 1953, respectively, and were highly regarded. The Mule quartet is often considered the prototype for future quartets, due the level of virtuosity demonstrated by its members and its central role in the development of the quartet repertoire. However organised quartets did exist before Mule's ensemble, the prime example being the quartet headed by Eduard Lefebre (1834–1911), former soloist with the Sousa band, in the United States c. 1904–1911. Other ensembles most likely existed at this time as part of the saxophone sections of the many touring "business" bands that existed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. More recently, the World Saxophone Quartet has become known as the preeminent jazz saxophone quartet. The Rova Saxophone Quartet, based in San Francisco, is noted for its work in the fields of contemporary classical music and improvised music.

There are a few larger all-saxophone ensembles, the most prominent including the Rascher Saxophone Orchestra and Urban Sax, which includes as many as 52 saxophonists. The six-member Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra owns one of the few E♭ contrabass saxophones. Very large groups, featuring over 100 saxophones, are sometimes organized as a novelty at saxophone conventions.