Bob Reynolds

Saxophonist. Composer. Melody Architect.

Everything I Want in a Pop Sax Solo

by Bob Reynolds Get exclusive music

It’s not so much a solo as a beautiful texture.

That’s what I always strive to add in pop settings. It’s not about leather pants, walking the bar, dark sunglasses or cool-cat-hats. It’s about pure tone, texture, emotion and beauty. (To me, anyway.) No cheesy vibrato or cheap parlor tricks.

Since the moment I discovered Bon Iver I heard a subtle, distant saxophone presence I loved. Turns out there’s more than one sax in the band. It’s actually an 11-piece band with a bunch of horns but this elegant trio setting is stripped down and is pure music to my ears.

Notice how the sax adds breath and wood (you can hear the stiff reed in his sound) to the colors of the performance. It’s obvious he can really play (not like those awful SADE sax solos in the 80’s…that guy was a guitarist who ‘picked up’ a sax) but he’s not out to beat you over the head with “jazz” (thankfully), he’s just contributing raw emotion and beauty.

Check. It. Out.

PS – I can’t even figure out who this sax player is. #PostLinerNoteWorld

UPDATE: The saxophonist is Michael Lewis.

About Bob Reynolds

Bob Reynolds is a jazz saxophonist and 3x GRAMMY Award-winning member of the instrumental supergroup Snarky Puppy. He's toured and recorded with John Mayer and released 11 albums as a solo artist. Bob teaches jazz improvisation and saxophone lessons through his Virtual Studio and an annual retreat for saxophonists.

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Comments

  1. Victor Pinto says

    Yeah Mike Lewis is the man. A very versatile player. He knows how to play simple melodic lines in “pop” settings but also explores the fringes of jazz. My favorite modern player by far.

  2. Mike says

    Really nice. That’s how I felt when I first heard Sonny’s solo on the Stones’ Waiting on a Friend.

  3. Keith Maskell says

    My fave saxophone solos in pop tunes:

    1. Mike Brecker on Donald Fagen’s “Maxine”. All of the emotion and intensity of the entire song wrapped up in eight bars of 12/8 perfection.

    2. Bob Berg on Ivan Lins’ “So Crazy For This Love”. A solo with a little more edge and modern style to it, but it fits perfectly into the song. Having Chaka Khan on lead vocals and Marcus Miller on bass doesn’t hurt either.

    3. Mike Brecker on Ivan Lins’ “She Walks This Earth”. Two smokin’ tenor solos from two amazing players on the same album? What are the chances? Mike once again plays it slightly understated but says everything that needs to be said. His tone blends amazingly with Sting’s lead vocal.

    Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary

  4. john says

    Im pretty sure colin stenson also plays with them. If you havent heard that guys raw emotion, definitely check him out

  5. Steve says

    I’m actually listening to Michael Lewis with Bov Iver’s opener (and then Bon Iver) in New York now!!!!