Sax = sexiness. That is an equation that we have seen since the 1950s—ever since the martini set was being sold music to entertain by. (Define entertain however you like.) :devil1:
I have written about a number of album covers in this blog, which illustrate how the sax/sex connection evolved over the past 6 decades. It went from subtle to in your face. For example, there was this, then this, then this, then how about this, and most recently this.
This morning on eBay I noticed this vintage album cover from Buddy Savitt’s 1962 album, The Most Heard Sax In the World. I really liked the colourful saxophones with nothing but Savitt’s name. It is simple, and totally lacking that exploitative message, that if you play this record while your lady friend is over, you’ll get lucky. 😉
Source: 30th Place Fine Records and Discs
Perhaps part of the reason this album is lacking sexual imagery, is because this is not a jazz album. The Most Heard Sax In The World, is a rock and roll record. It includes the following:
- Come Blow Your Horn
- Raunchy
- The Most Heard Sax In the World
- My Prayer
- I Like It Like That
- La Bamba
- Do You Love Me
- Gig
- What’d I Say
- Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
- Chills
- Funky
While the martini-swilling set might have bought this record, it wasn’t music intended to set the mood. It was music to dance to. The jazz albums came out later in the evening.
Buddy Savitt was a session musician who worked in Philadelphia during the 1950s. He has many recordings to his credit including The Twist, by Chubby Checker. His tenor and baritone playing landed him steady work in orchestras until his death in 1983.¹
In case you forgot what Buddy Savitt sounded like, here is a 1962 video of Chubby Checker doing his Lose Your Inhibition Twist. Buddy Savitt is one of the 4 saxophones in Checker’s band, and is the one playing the solo.
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thanks for posting this, Buddy Savitt was my uncle and I got to hear him play a couple of times as a kid. Some of the stories I remember being told were awesome. Thanks Again. My dad was also a drummer in a band from the 50-60s. The Unique Joyriders. Grew up as a kid listening to these guys and others they knew in the biz
Buddy’s solos on the Cameo/Parkway records, were brilliant. They were concise, melodic and had a beginning and an end like a well-wrought sentence. He usually had 30 seconds or so on these 2:30 tunes to do it, and he never failed. As a pro-saxman, I always cite Buddy’s influence on my tone, phrasing and conception, even though no-one knows who I’m talking about! I’m a big time jazz fan and am familiar with saxmen from smooth jazz to the avant-garde, r&b to pop. But Buddy remains my favorite.
The Rev.bIGhIG
Hi there Rev.bIGhIG. Welcome to my site.
+1. I couldn’t agree more. I strive for that, but I must admit since I quit the blues band I had been working in for a decade, I have lost some of the conciseness. Lately I’ve started trying to tell stories again through solos, but find myself wandering off track and not being able to get back on point before the conclusion. It’s frustrating as hell during rehearsals, and even more frustrating because I have a show in 2 weeks!
Good R&B, blues, and rock forces you to be concise, and a good story teller. I am a melodic player. Many jazz players don’t get it when I talk to them about my conception of solos. They’re like: follow the chords, do this, do that, blah, blah, blah…
It might be the most theoretically correct solo in the world, but if it doesn’t tell a good story, in my experience, unless the audience is a well-informed jazz crowd, they won’t appreciate it. A well told story however, full of good phrasing, tone, and execution, appeals to most audience members. At least that’s been my experience.
Buddy Savitt was without a doubt, one of the best melodic sax players of his era. He is a must-listen-to player, and one who I thoroughly enjoy.
Thanks for the visit Rev.bIGhIG….helen
Helen, some jazz sax man (I forget who) once said something like “in order to blow your solo, you’ve gotta know the song’s lyrics.” — what the song is about. You don’t just string notes or your favorite licks together. I never got into dexterity blowing to dazzle the audience.
The amazing Dexter Gordon “talked” to you like an old friend or lover would.
Buddy Savitt was a mentor to me. I was recording on Cameo-Parkway back in time with Tommy & The Riveria’s Our best there was Detroit City, but I played organ on that side. Buddy was my idol. I tried to copy every tone he played and people today say I sound just like them old records. That an achievement to me. He most indeed is the Most Heard Saxophone In The World. Chubby many not be in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame but The Twist is perhaps the BEST KNOWN rock song ever recorded, Made No. 1 On Billboard 2 times and that was 16 months apart and Mr. Savitt, Yes, Mr. Savitt you were a big part of it. BTW, I liked Buddy on Let’s Twist Again more as I think that was a better song. Nuff said…..Still Honking After 50+ years.
Thanks for all the info and links Paul. It sounds like it’s worth trying to hunt down.
While I’m at it, I should take note of a few links.
This appears to be the “source” for many other biographical notes about Buddy Savitt. It also looks like it was derived from a newspaper obituary that isn’t cited.
Here is a history of the Parkway/Cameo record label. Some of their later signings of artists reveal a remarkably prescient vision of the shape of popular music to come in the late 70s, but they just didn’t have the resources of a major label to last that long to achieve it.
Hi Helen,
It’s a good recording. Everyone plays well and the sound is clean, perhaps a little too clean. It is something of a rarity since despite his work as a jazz, swing, and pop musician, it is the only LP released under his name.
Buddy sounds great, but the producer didn’t give him very much to work with, IMHO. The track “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” had been released as a single in 1961, and shows some originality and spunk, but the rest sound too much like “correct” rock & roll for adults. They all manage to get to first base, but one would like to cop a feel now and then, never mind some heavy petting. :devil1:
As an aside, this style really comes to life when a rocking rhythm section and solid vocal harmonies set the stage for a good singer to play with the words and melody, and a smoking instrumental soloist or two for contrast. I suspect that these musicians would sound much more enthusiastic in a live performance that wasn’t under the time constraints of a studio session.
It’s got a good beat, and you can dance to it: I give it an 80. 😉
Peace,
paul
Hi Helen,
While leaving you a reply to today’s post, I looked up the page and noticed this one. I can’t believe it escaped my noticing it for this long — I actually own a copy of this!
I’d agree with the target audience, though. This would be more the bourbon-on-the-rocks or manhattan-cocktail crowd, the “swingers,” not the “loungers” or “hipsters.” This is for the party people who want to “Shake, Rattle, and Roll,” not the folks who politely sip and nod. :saxy:
Peace,
paul
So you own a copy of this? What do you think of it? Like it? Is it worth trying to track down?