Famous multi-instrumentalists in jazz
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URL: http://www.JazzMusicArchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=947
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Topic: Famous multi-instrumentalists in jazz
Posted By: Ricochet
Subject: Famous multi-instrumentalists in jazz
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 3:09pm
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I'm developing an idea for a review I'm working on, but I may just not be knowledgeable enough and end up saying something stupid. Also, I may actually know myself some names, in which case this will serve as a reminder. Are there famous (legendary, even) multi-instrumentalists in jazz history? Two or more instruments. This question should not be read as: a. Are there famous jazz musicians who are (were) multi-instrumentalists? They have to be famous for the aptitude itself. b. Are there jazz instrumentists who also mastered one or many other instruments? They have to be famous in both (or any) cases. c. Which jazz multi-instrumentalists are your favourites / which jazz multi-instrumentalists do you love/appreciate/prefer? As much as possible, mention objectively musicians heralded as greats in this regard. You could partially exclude close-related instruments, as well. Even more, saying one plays both alto and tenor saxophone would, of course, be missing the point. -------------  
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Replies:
Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 3:42pm
Hermeto Pascoal, Henry Threadgill, Eric Dolphy  ........................ and Dave Grohl   ------------- Matt |
Posted By: Abraxas
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 3:48pm
Roland Kirk. He's a multi-instrumentalist, but mainly wind/brass but not sure if that counts for you. |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 3:49pm
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Hard to catch on their fame just by mentioning them, so plz to specify. To be more specific, what inspired me what Mingus' "piano album". It's quite good, but I wouldn't say it ranks him among great pianists. I read he also played cello and trombone, but I never picked this up just by listening to his albums. Pretty sure we still associate him just with the bass (and as composer), right? Thus my wonder, if there are artists ranking just as stellar in two or more sections. -------------
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Posted By: Abraxas
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 3:55pm
Well, Hermeto Pascoal is definitely one of Brazil's most versatile and innovative musicians. He played on the Montreux Jazz Festival, but really, I'm not sure what do you really mean by 'famous'? I mean, I don't think he sold million of records. I know very little of Kirk, but I think John can tell you more of him and about what he did in the jazz field. I simply know that this guy inspired many saxophone players to use multiple ones at once, like David Jackson. But he was not simply a "showman". Eric Dolphy, you must know this guy, don't you? EDIT: now that I've read your edit, well, Hermeto is clearly known for his keyboard abilities, but his sax among other diverse instruments never were really behind I think. Kirk, like I said, he played various wind instruments, does that count? Eric Dolphy as well, well known for his bass clarinet, flute and alto sax.
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Ricochet wrote:Posted By: dionisio
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 3:57pm
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Ornette coleman, beside the sax, played the violin and trompet ! And damn, he is good. -------------  |
Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 3:59pm
Hermeto...Keyboards, flute, saxophone, accordion or squeeze box if you prefer, melodica, guitar, anything Brazilian plus others. Miles said he was a genuis.
Henry...Alto sax, flute, hubkaphone
Eric....Alto, flute, clarinet, piccolo, bass
 And last but not least, Dave........drums and guitar  ------------- Matt |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 3:59pm
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Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 4:01pm
 very Avante------------- Matt |
Posted By: dionisio
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 4:07pm
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His sound on the violin is.. weird (weird not as a bad thing here), i really like it, bt i cannot think of anything else similar to that, and i know a lot of violin jazz players (from more traditional to avant garde ones), he plays the violin like somethin else.. it's clearly more about the sound than a melodic approach, i think and i feel that as a violin player, that he doesnt have some skills developed, so instead of a more conventional approach, he just.. grab the violin and make sound coming out of it, and damn, it sounds great, really great. ------------- |
Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 4:11pm
 ------------- Matt |
Posted By: js
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 4:44pm
| Jack DeJohnette is one of the greatest drummers ever, and a very good piano player too. |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 6:04pm
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I haven't read through this thread yet, but it should be known that a lot of sax players usually know how to play flute or clarinet-and visa versa. A lot of brass players (trumpet / trombone / tuba / french horn) know how to play them all (For trombone, you have to know the slide positions, but there are valve trombones. French horns are tuned differently). Also many guitarists can play bass, and visa versa. I'm pretty sure most jazz musicians in general have a basic understanding of piano as well. Even drummers (many in music colleges must know some piano / take piano classes.) Just wanted to throw them facts atcha ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm |
Posted By: dionisio
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 6:06pm
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In fact, at least for the clarinet / sax players i know.. all the clarinet players end up playing pretty well (in a very short time), flute, trumpet and sax.. while the other way around doesnt happen as easily, bt still happen ! ------------- |
Posted By: Kazuhiro
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 6:21pm
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Violin that Allan Holdsworth plays. Or, piano of playing of Ralph Towner. And, tenor sax of Ornette Coleman. These are unique. However, I do not feel the drum that Jaco Pastorius plays as a too peculiar performance. |
Posted By: js
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 6:32pm
| Keyboardists Jan Hammer and Chick Corea play drums on a couple of albums. |
Posted By: Kazuhiro
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 6:36pm
| And, Gary Husband also performs on the piano. |
Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 6:59pm
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What about Bobby Valentin.........started on trumpet and now bass "el supremo" for me anyway. Only took up the bass because his band player did not turn up so he did it and that was that......bass was his instrument pretty much from then on.
Or Louie Ramirez..............Vibes or Timbales...................(take it away Louie) I am a big fan
One other note does arranging get you included because these two above a pretty good at that as well ------------- Matt |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2011 at 9:07am
| How common is it for drummers who also play keys and vice versa e.g. Gary Husband, Jack De Johnette, Jan Hammer, Billy Cobham? |
Posted By: Shrdlu
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2014 at 9:34am
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Here are a few. Bob Brookmeyer mainly played valve trombone, but he was also an excellent pianist, good enough to record a two-piano album with Bill Evans. Bob recorded on piano with the Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band. Gerry Mulligan was, of course, of course, mainly a baritone saxophone player, but he was also great on the clarinet, on which he had a Lester Young approach. He also recorded on soprano saxophone (and, occasionally, on alto and tenor). But most of us reed players play more than one horn. Gerry was also a fine pianist , and you can hear him on the piano on some of the Concert Jazz Band recordings. Lester Young played a mean clarinet, too. You will have to hunt a bit to find recordings of that, but there are one or two with the early Basie band, and he played clarinet on a great Commodore session. Benny Goodman gave him that clarinet, and it was one of the rare metal ones. He only stopped playing it because it was stolen. |
Posted By: js
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2014 at 9:44am
| Hey Shrdlu, you sound like someone who could probably write good reviews. Have you checked out our album review and/or ratings feature? |
Posted By: Shrdlu
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2014 at 3:02pm
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Might do. I was wondering, do two saxophones count, bearing in mind that most saxophone players have at least two instruments? If so, then we have Sonny Stitt and James Moody, both of whom regularly played both alto and tenor saxophones equally well. That is a little out of the ordinary, because most alto and tenor players play only one of them normally. Moody was also one of the finest flute players. When you get into flute, you find that it is mostly played by saxophone players, and so you have a large number of doublers. Speaking for myself, I have always felt a need to play more than one horn. At first, it was alto saxophone and clarinet, and now (restricting it to saxophones) it's tenor and soprano saxophones. |
Posted By: Frederic_Alderon
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2018 at 1:15pm
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I think of an Marcus Miller, known to be seen around his clarinet, keyboards, guitar, and saxophone.
And of course one of the best players of a jazz solo parts. |
Posted By: Shrdlu
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2018 at 2:20pm
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Let's not forget Danny Bank. He was on many jazz sessions with a medium to large orchestra. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, but he also regularly played an arsenal of woodwind instruments: regular clarinet, bass clarinet, flute and alto flute - and probably others. He played bass clarinet on the sessions Miles did with Gil Evans, and was a regular on Blue Note sessions when more than a quintet was required. Michael Cuscuna told me that Danny had a platinum flute and that he got to try it out. Danny, along with Gerry Mulligan and Pepper Adams, hated the stupid low A extension that has plagued the baritone saxophone since the 1950s. It isn't needed, and it messes up the harmonics on the instrument, partly because the extension isn't conical.
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Posted By: ava maneux
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2022 at 2:22pm
| Most of them... Eric Dolphy, for instance... |