Capable of far more than a slightly sleazy solo (though to be honest that’s part of the appeal) the presence of this golden-hued instrument has elevated hundreds of songs into straight-up super hits.

The alto saxophone is one of the most popular instruments in jazz and pop music, known for its smooth, expressive sound. Over the years, many talented musicians have made their mark playing the alto ...

When the Eagles first broke onto the scene in the early 1970s, they had an undeniably country twang to their easygoing, rock ‘n’ roll sound. But by the middle of the decade, the California band was ...

Last Friday, in my interview series with Phil Woods, I asked the alto saxophonist about his iconic solo on Billy Joel's Just the Way You Are (1977). In my post, I referred to the hit as “sudsy." A ...

Almost no other instrument seems so synonymous with jazz as the sax. Listen to some classic alto playing from Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Stitt and more greats. Credit...Illustration by ...

They're Bird's alto saxophone solos that we hear all through the soundtrack. Not someone else. Charles McPherson was only added to three of the songs, as a member of the ensemble. Musical director ...

Bobby Keys’ solo on the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” is one of the definitive saxophone performances in rock history. His approach to the song seems more influenced by the “down and dirty” vocabulary ...

It wasn’t the lure of the mountains or the sound of the river that drew jazz musicians to a quiet Delaware Water Gap inn one recent moonless night. It was the song coming from Phil Woods’ saxophone.