The Greatest Sax Solo
So which of these twelve featured sax solos is the greatest of all? Vote below to promote your favorite. You'll find videos of all the tracks listed in the body of the lens so that you can listen to them again. Just click on the name of the saxophonist in this list and it will jump you down the lens to the right section - they are all hyperlinked. To return to this voting list, click on your browser's back button.
Of course if there are any great sax solosI have missed, there is an opportunity at the bottom of the lens to add any of your own favourites.
Share the poll with your friends by clicking on the Share button ↗
More Great Sax Solos
I limited this lens to just 12 great sax solos but there are more on my main site on the Greatest Sax Solos. You may like to visit.
And here's one of those I missed. Sting sings the classic Police song Roxanne with a stunning soprano sax solo/accompaniment by Branford Marsalis. Remember there are more like this on the main site so do visit! (I can't add Branford Marsalis to the main vote without zeroing the counters, sorry, but you can vote for it in the extras section towards the bottom of the page.)
Alto Reed - Turn the Page
(Alto Sax)
Candy Dulfer - Lily was Here
(Alto Sax)
The Best of Candy Dulfer
Amazon Price: $17.98 (as of 11/29/2009)![]()
Used Price: $3.88
Since Lily was Here was originally on a soundtrack, a "best of" CD is probably the way to go and gets you more great sax tracks by Candy Dulfer.
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Chris White - Your Latest Trick
(Tenor Sax)
Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits
Amazon Price: $10.97 (as of 11/29/2009)![]()
Used Price: $4.59
The Very Best of Dire Straits features the classic tracks including Your Latest Trick and Going Home, the theme from Local Hero.
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Clarence Clemons - Jungleland
(Tenor Sax)
There's a video of a live performance on the main Greatest Sax Solos site that's unbelievable. The contrast between Clarence Clemon's performance (and that of all of the E Street Band) really is worth listening to. You'll be blown away I'm sure - just as I was when I first heard that live version of Jungleland.
Born to Run
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 11/28/2009)![]()
Used Price: $2.78
For many people, Born to Run is the definitive Springstein studio album - although personally I think I prefer Born in the USA.
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The Big Man has an autogiography out in October. It's available now on pre-order.
Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales
Amazon Price: $13.49 (as of 11/28/2009)![]()
Make sure you are one of the first to get this eagerly awaited book.
Lee Thompson - Night Boat to Cairo
(Tenor Sax)
One Step Beyond
Amazon Price: $0.99 (as of 11/28/2009)![]()
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There are loads of Madness compilations but some can be hard to find. Unless you are a hardened fan, this should be a good starter.
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Phil Woods - Just the Way You Are
(Alto Sax)
Phil Woods has also worked with Steely Dan, including a memorable sax solo on Dr Wu.
The Stranger
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 11/28/2009)![]()
Used Price: $3.07
When The Stranger is such a great album, why buy a compilation?
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Raphael Ravenscroft - Baker Street
(Alto Sax)
There are several sax solos on Pink Floyd tracks. I'm not a fan of Floyd, but Raphael Ravenscroft's sax solo on The Gunner's Dream (the Final Cut, 1983) is one of the better ones, and is clean of the electronic sounds I dislike on other Pink Floyd tracks.
City To City
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 11/28/2009)![]()
I've never been a fan of Gerry Rafferty compilations - the proudction quality is poor on some of them, so personally I'd recommend City to City itself.
Richie Cannata - Scenes from an Italian Restauarant
(Soprano Sax)
The Stranger
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 11/29/2009)![]()
Used Price: $3.05
When The Stranger is such a great album, why buy a compilation?
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Richie Cannata - Some Additional Links
- Richie Cannata at Keith Valley - Part 1
- The highlight in this part is the sax work from Billy Joel's New York State of Mind.
- Richie Cannata at Keith Valley - Part 2
- Richie answers questions including how he got into music & jams with his band and the students
- Richie Cannata at Keith Valley - Part 3
- Skip the first 4m 50s unless you are interested in sax as backing to schoolchildren singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer ...
Sonny Rollins - Who By Fire
(Tenor Sax)
Steve Gregory - Careless Whisper
(Alto Sax)
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 11/29/2009)![]()
Used Price: $1.98
This is the George Michael compilaton I own - it does me just fine!
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Stu Matthewman - Smooth Operator
(Tenor Sax)
The Best of Sade
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 11/28/2009)![]()
Used Price: $6.00
Personally I think Best of Sade is the way to go which also gets you great tracks like Your Love is King.
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Wesley McGoogan - Will You
(Alto Sax)
More Great Sax Solo Resources
What Great Sax Solos have I Missed?
If I have missed your favourite sax solo, then you can add it to the list below and still vote on it!
Tex Beneke - In the Mood
This Glen Miller track opens with a famous alto sa more...0 points
Steve Norman - True
Steve Norman plays a melodic tenor sax solo on < more...0 points
Cheesiest ... Funkiest ... Nuttiest Sax Solos/
So these are my choices for the greatest, but what about some fun sax solos that didn't make it to the hall of fame for the best sax solo?-
Purple People Eater: The Nuttiest Sax-solo Ever
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I have been creating a series of lenses of stand out sax solos - the greatest sax solo, the cheesiest sax solo and so on. I then came across Purple People Eater by accident and knew at once that I had found the nuttiest sax solo ever. Image "Purple...
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God Made Me Funky: The Funkiest Sax-solo Ever
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There can be little doubt about the funkiest sax solo. It has to be Bennie Maupin in the Headhunter's God Made Me Funky. It starts about 4 minutes in to this long track and gets funkier, and funkier ... and way out funkier. Much of that is down to s...
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Eric Carmen's Hungry Eyes: The Cheesiest Sax-solo Ever
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If I found it hard to pick the greatest sax solo ever, identifying the Hungry Eyes song as the cheesiest sax solo was easy. When you watch the video you'll see why - and in this case it isn't just the audio track, the video is important in the cheese...
Freeform Feedback
If there's more you want to say - for instance to rave about your favourite sax solo - here's your chance!
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- prosperity66 prosperity66 Nov 28, 2009 @ 7:11 am
- I couldn't do without having a visit and ratings to a lens that talks about an instruments created by a fellow citizen of mine!
Congratulations on your well deserved nomination to 2009 Giant Squid Awards! Wishing your the best of luck!
Dom.
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- WindyWinters WindyWinters Nov 15, 2009 @ 3:22 am
- Congrats on your Purple Star. I love Billy Joel & Sting on the sax.
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- Anok Anok Nov 19, 2009 @ 9:22 pm
- I love the Sax. I agree, Billy Joel is good with the Sax. I Can't play it though haha!!
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- Mockenrue Mockenrue Nov 15, 2009 @ 12:24 am
- If you have never heard the sax solo on Capricorn by IQ (on the Subterranea album), and I suspect you haven't, you have no idea what you're missing. It'd easily be on that poll, if not win it.
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- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Nov 10, 2009 @ 11:58 pm
- Wow! I love that Sting video of Roxanne, but I am a Sting fan. I love the sound of a sax. Wonderful lens!
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- DrQuuxum DrQuuxum Oct 30, 2009 @ 7:19 am
- I second Alistair's suggestion of Mel Collins' "Old & Wise" outro, and I also suggest David Jackson in Van Der Graaf Generator's "My Room (Waiting For Wonderland)" from the album Still Life.
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- Vinny Falcone Vinny Falcone Oct 29, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
- Hey, great site!
Check out Michael Brecker's work with Cameo, (Don't be lonely, Pretty Girl, Candy, She's mine), also with Carly Simon on 'You belong to me', with Chaka Khan 'Nothing's gonna take you away', 'Naughty' and 'What you gonna do for me', David Sanborn 'Knocking on heaven's door' from Lethal Weapon andDavid Bowie 'Young American'.
If you love Candy Dulfer, she does a great sax solo on 'Shine on you crazy diamond' at the Pink Floyd Knebworth concert (don't remember the year...but around early 90)
Cheers!
Vinny
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- crisvalk crisvalk Oct 17, 2009 @ 3:56 pm
- the sax solo of greg ham in WHO CAN IT BE NOW? of the australian 80's pop band MEN AT WORK it's one of my favourite!:)
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- Al Shaw Al Shaw Oct 17, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
- From Michael Bolton's "Soul Provider" album, check out Michael Brecker's solo on Georgia On My MInd. One of the best ever if not the....
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- Alistair Alistair Oct 5, 2009 @ 2:54 pm
- I think we have to consider Mel Collins on 'Old and Wise' by The Alan Parsons Project.
Colin Blunstone on vocals.
Candy Dulfer looks real laid back and competent and she plays beautifully, but 'Will You' makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Hope this helps!
Regards
Al
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- Foggy Foggy Sep 18, 2009 @ 3:20 pm
- Try:
George Adams - What A Wonderful World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVIOkMAYpPk
Beats everything mentioned.... listen to it and weep....
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- ChapelHillFiddler ChapelHillFiddler Sep 15, 2009 @ 5:19 am
- I'm visiting your sax funnel. So this has worked for you, eh? And you're really migrating off squidoo to your own site? It seems it could feel a little lonely over there! But best of luck to you!
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My Personal Favourite Sax Solo
My personal top two are Candy Dulfer (Lily was here) and Wesley McGoogan (Will You), but I'm really unable to choose between them! Lily was Here I love for the brilliant interplay between Dulfer and Stewart; Will You is top of my favourites because McCoogan brings more passion to that soloI think than any other saxophonist has managed.Other sax solos have very strong personal memories. I had to include Night Boat to Cairo and Baker Street in this lens because of those memories, but that isn't (quite) enough for me to put those two in top place.
Whether you agree with my favourites, or have your own, I hope you have enjoyed my selection. Amd remember, my Greatest Sax Solos site has even more sax solos for your to enjoy.
by Kate-Phizackerley
I am a middle-aged woman with a wide range of interests from Ancient Egypt, backgammon, cookery ... to ... Zimbabwe which I... (more)






