The Voice of the Saxophone

Last updated
The Voice of the Saxophone
The Voice of the Saxophone.jpg
Studio album by
Don Braden
Released1997
Recorded1997
Genre Jazz
Label RCA Victor
Producer Don Braden, Benny Golson
Don Braden chronology
The Open Road
(1996)		The Voice of the Saxophone
(1997)		 The Fire Within
(1999)

The Voice of the Saxophone is an album by the American saxophonist Don Braden, released in 1997. [1] [2] It was his first album for RCA Victor. [3] Braden supported it with a North American tour. [4] "Monk's Hat" was used as the theme to the television series Cosby ; Bill Cosby played timbales and cowbell on the track. [5]

Contents

Production

Recorded in 1997, the album was produced by Braden and Benny Golson. [6] [5] Braden wrote the arrangements for an octet. [3] He was backed by trombonist Frank Lacy, saxophonist Vincent Herring, trumpeter Randy Brecker, and saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, among others. [7] The album takes its title from the Jimmy Heath song. [8] "After the Rain" is a version of the John Coltrane song. [9] "Soul Station" was written and originally performed by Hank Mobley. [9] "Point of Many Returns" is an interpretation of the Sam Rivers composition. [5] "Speak No Evil" was written by Wayne Shorter. [10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]

The Boston Herald stated, "Possessed of a great big sound, tons of soul and chops that also encompass writing, arranging and bandleading, Braden and his octet make The Voice of the Saxophone the rollicking kind of little-big-band date you rarely hear any more." [13] The Guardian noted that "Braden's canny arrangements don't try to recreate the original mood and his own solos, based around a warm, slightly cloudy sound and never flashy, are a pleasure to hear." [14] Jazziz opined, "On a program that inferred scholarship by tracing the lineage of his chosen horn, he moved from Mobley to Rivers, stressing erudition at each turn. But it was formal to a fault—the music just kind of sat there." [15] JazzTimes said that "Braden scored his original 'Cozy' for two flutes, clarinet and fluegelhorn to achieve the CD’s little masterwork." [16]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Soul Station" 
2."Speak No Evil" 
3."Winelight" 
4."After the Rain" 
5."The Dust Kicker" 
6."Monk's Hat" 
7."Cozy" 
8."The Face I Love" 
9."Point of Many Returns" 
10."The Voice of the Saxophone" 

References

  1. ↑ Provizer, Norman (September 19, 1997). "Colorado Artists Spark Monterey Jazz Festival". Rocky Mountain News. p. 20D.
  2. ↑ Corbett, John (October 1997). "The Voice of the Saxophone". DownBeat. Vol. 64, no. 10. p. 46.
  3. 1 2 Blumenthal, Bob (October 3, 1997). "King translates the language of jazz". The Boston Globe. p. D16.
  4. ↑ Puckett, Jeffrey Lee (November 21, 1997). "Braden's late start didn't slow him". Weekend Extra. Courier Journal. p. 26.
  5. 1 2 3 4 The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books. 1998. p. 183.
  6. ↑ Carter, Kevin L. (June 13, 1997). "Just Jazz". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 20.
  7. ↑ Smith, Will (October 12, 1997). "Jazz Sounds". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 7.
  8. ↑ Kohlhaase, Bill (January 29, 1998). "Don Braden Puts His Own Spin on Great Saxophone Songs at the Bakery". Los Angeles Times. p. 22R.
  9. 1 2 Billington, Michael (January 13, 1998). "Reviews: Jazz: Don Braden". The Guardian. p. T11.
  10. ↑ Kohlhaase, Bill (January 29, 1998). "Jazz Pick of the Week". LA Weekly. p. 129.
  11. ↑ "The Voice of the Saxophone Review by Ken Dryden". AllMusic. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  12. ↑ MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 142.
  13. ↑ "Discs". Boston Herald. December 12, 1997. p. S20.
  14. ↑ Atkins, Ronald (February 6, 1998). "This week's jazz CD releases". The Guardian. p. T22.
  15. ↑ Macnie, Jim (July 1999). "Don Braden's tenor sax...". Jazziz. Vol. 16, no. 7. p. 19.
  16. ↑ Welburn, Ron (January 1998). "Don Braden: The Voice of the Saxophone". JazzTimes. Vol. 28, no. 1. p. 103.
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