Sound like Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon with this tonguing exercise

The oracle takes a deeper look into jazz articulation and examines the similarities between 3 tenor saxophone giants. He goes on to explain and demonstrate an effective exercise to help approach this style of articulation.

[@derek_williams]

Thanks for this video. I just watched a transcription of Dexter on Three O'clock in the Morning and started to think that his 8th notes are very even, and maybe perhaps every note is tongued which gives him a distinctive style. Thanks for confirming the tonguing - I'll give it a go in my practice tomorrow.

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Glad you found it helpful! Yup, Dexter tended to attack every note. I think you'll notice a big difference when you get comfortable with it. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@derek_williams]

@@TheSaxophoneOracle I can't believe nobody told me this before, or that I never noticed! I've been playing for 40 years. Just listened to Gene Ammons and he also often tongues each note.

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

@@derek_williams Yeah... check out Lockjaw's articulation.... it's wild!

[@derek_williams]

@@TheSaxophoneOracle Thanks. I haven't seen a lot of players live, but did see Eddie in Manchester when I was about 16. I'm listening to him again now you suggested, and find that he mixes up his articulation but tends to use legato more than individual notes. Of course when he does anything it tends to be exaggerated! This is really a great thing to pay attention to!

[@jeffjonesworld]

They aren't "tonguing" every note. I think they are using the technique where you touch the tongue on the corner of the reed to mute notes, and remove the tongue to make a note pop.

[@hincapiej4]

Ghosting

[@hanti83]

Learn gerald albright "bermuda night" and can't repeat his fast tongue.... Sorry for my english

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

Thanks for the comment. I'm not familiar with that song. I'll check it it out!

[@rinahall]

I just listened to a 10h European podcast radio show on Sonny Rollins (yes, 10x 1h, covering 1951-2001 !!!). My opinion of Rollins is that it seems very overrated to me. First of all as a player, he does not seem to me better than Johnny Griffin, Stitt, Roland Kirk, Phil Woods, Lateef ... but enjoys a much more important reputation ... and unjustified in my opinion. Ok he plays well, but not better than the musicians I mentioned. In terms of composition, he did not compose anything, everyone knows that St Thomas is a Caribbean folklore already recorded by Randy Weston in 1955 under the title Fire Down There. His other compositions from the 50s ... well, Oleo, Airegin etc ... this can in no way be compared to the compositions of Trane, Bird, Monk or Shorter ... also, his playing and his sound are terribly degraded after 1966 (36 years). It seems that he was traumatized by the arrival of Ornette, Trane, Ayler ... In the 60's he tried to be more free than Ayler, more calypso / blues than Ornette, and more mystical than Trane, but he didn't. did not succeed. Then in the 70s / 80s he tried to be funky, disco ... with really ridiculous and cheesy results ... Did he want to be funkier than James Brown himself? Also, in the radio show they say that he was paid current $ 300,000 for himself to record the Nucleus album (so listen to the result !!!!), and that, for his concerts, his financial claims were unrealistic, only the big festivals could afford it. He played with the Stones but didn't want to go on tour with them because, according to Jagger himself, he wanted too much money! I mean, I'm not making anything up here. In my opinion, he should have remained what he was before, a disciple of Bird at the Tenor, and quit at the age of 40 to leave a quality job, and without trying to follow fashion.
Thank you for not insulting me because I have documented myself on Rollins and I like to have constructive discussions without being attacked on my person.

[@TheSaxophoneOracle]

First of all, thank you for your comment. I wholeheartedly agree that everyone is entitled to express their opinions without being attacked personally or being disrespected in any way. I am a big fan of civil discourse. However, having reread your comment several times I'm almost certain that you did not watch this video or any of my videos. In this video I point out a stylistic tendency shared by many great saxophonists and offer a practical approach for students of the saxophone to practice and possibly implement this technique in their own playing. I started this channel to share my wisdom, experience, and offer guidance to folks who are trying to learn the saxophone and / or jazz improvisation. Unlike most TH-camrs I offer this as a gift to anyone who finds what I have to say useful. I don't sell books / transcriptions / cds / merchandise / offer private lessons / have an affiliates page. I am trying to help people achieve their musical goals at an enormous financial and personal cost. While I think I understand the point you are trying to make I am baffled as to why? Certainly people have their personal musical preferences, but the thought of entertaining a discussion on some sort of hierarchy of musicianship or contribution to the history of music is not something I care to do. Frankly, I don't see the purpose of having such a discussion, nor do I think there is any value in it whatsoever. If this is something that you truly hold dear to you heart, then I would strongly encourage you to start your own podcast or TH-cam channel to have such discussions, because what I am building here is not the place for it. I thank you again for your comment and wish you all the best. Yours truly, The Saxophone Oracle.

[@Butterking99]

are you a musician? also what instrument do you play, out of all do respect why are you taking a deep dive on to every aspect of his life and nitpicking do you not like his comments in interviews? jealous of him? you know virtuosity and technical prowess on an instrument doesn’t always = better player, music is subjective and up for interpretation plenty influences in music throughout history played records and sampled songs but alot of musician would say these people are just as important as them (j-dilla, rudy van gelder), just to name a few. and why would you suggest he just put down his sax most musician’s don’t see there music and talents as purely just a job its a dedicated commitment and emotional attachment weather your a virtuoso or not!

[@iamoroso3144]

It could be rebutted that Sonny Rollins contributed myriad compositions to the jazz repertoire. In fact, tunes of his such as “Doxy” could be used to understand and learn to contextualize the method of tritone substitution for beginning jazz musicians. Nonetheless, to argue a musician’s historical worth in a certain field based off of opinion and ad hominem alone is a surefire way to close oneself off from a window of new interpretation. Maybe Rollins didn’t write charts by the minute like Irving Berlin, nor did he revolutionize the popularity of working around the circle of fifths in new, abstract ways like John Coltrane, but to shove Rollins out of jazz history is certainly nothing more than a mistake

[@derek_williams]

I personally love Sonny Rollins. I find him much more inventive than most other players. As just one example I'd point out Tenor Madness where he trades 4s with John Coltrane. I also like Coltrane, and I imagine based on compositions such as Love Supreme you will rate him? For me though, Rollins out plays Coltrane on Tenor Madness as he is so much freer in rhythmic, harmonic, dynamic range and expression. It sounds like he's just having fun, that it's so easy for him.

[@backtosquare12000]

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