Jazz Baritone Saxophone Essentials

The baritone sax has been around since the mid-19th century, but it wasn’t until around the 1920s and ’30s that it really took root in jazz. You can first hear it adding a rich, resonant tone across the big band era, in early recordings of Bennie Moten’s, Fletcher Henderson’s, Count Basie’s and Duke Ellington’s Orchestras (the latter of which featured pioneer Harry Carney). The instrument began to show even more versatility into the ’50s and ’60s, as soloists used it to express all manner of emotion: Gerry Mulligan brought a light and airy approach to cool jazz; Pepper Adams played with rhythmic agility; Cecil Payne underscored bebop and hard bop’s sophistication; and Leo Parker had a bluesy, sometimes funky style. Contemporary players such as Lauren Sevian, Fred Houn, James Carter and Ken Vandermark continued to evolve the baritone’s role, using tradition as a root but branching out across a range of creative influences.