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.

When Belgian Instrument Maker Adolphe Sax stuck a reed into a conical brass tube and patented the hybrid in 1846, he contributed a new instrument to the military band. In time his saxophone traveled ...

It took decades—a century even, depending how you count—for Adolphe Sax’s invention to take its place in history. The Belgian instrument maker, born 201 years ago, on Nov. 6, 1814, patented the ...

The saxophone can sound sad, fun, or full of emotion, and few other instruments show emotion as well as it does. Since Adolphe Sax invented it in the 1840s, this brass and woodwind hybrid has gone ...

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Deciding to learn how to play the saxophone is one thing.

The buckles make a sharp snapping sound, like a spattering of gunfire, as Will Compton opens a black case and lifts out a tarnished brass horn. He beams as he holds up the weathered instrument in his ...

Montreal native Dave Turner, a part-time music instructor at Concordia, has been a key player in the city’s jazz scene since the mid-1970s. He joined the Vic Vogel Big Band in 1979; eventually ...

The Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. From the dulcet tones of Kenny G to the infectious hook to ...