Bristol has a strong contingent of alto saxophonists who play locally on a regular basis and also tour elsewhere. Perhaps the best known are the two by James. James Morton was discovered by tenor Andy Sheppard and mentored by one of James Brown’s horn section members, Pee Wee Ellis. The links here are clear in Morton’s alto saxophone playing with many elements of JB superstar Maceo Parker audible in his playing style. James Morton’s alto saxophone has been featured on recordings by artists such as The Herbaliser, Raphael Saadiq and Pendulum and has been described as an incendiary saxophone.
James Gardiner-Bateman studied alto saxophone as a child in Manchester and returned to Bristol, rising to fame as trumpeter in the local African band, Helele. Now that he is studying jazz at The Royal Academy, his alto saxophone playing is fast reaching a world standard level, and he has appeared with many famous artists, including Jason Rubello, Will Vinson and Dennis Rollins. Recently, James has started promoting, bringing well-known top acts to the local venue, The Coronation Tap. This has provided the opportunity for Bristolians to hear his alto saxophone playing at his best, backed by top musicians.
A lesser known Bristol alto saxophonist, still noteworthy, is Kevin Figes. Challenging the status quo for professional musicians, Figes didn’t start learning until he was 22 years old. It didn’t take long for him to catch up, however, and he was soon playing in Keith Tippett’s Seedbed Orchestra. In addition to alto saxophone, Keith also plays baritone saxophone and flute. He has released several albums and toured both in the UK and internationally.
The alto saxophone is a starting point for many players, due in part to its easy-to-handle size and also to its relative low cost compared to larger tenor and baritone saxophones. Many musicians go on to study the tenor; however, for those willing to be patient, there are many rewards to be had from mastering the alto saxophone. In particular, the instrument has a rich altissimo tonal palette. It takes a lot of practice to develop the control on the mouthpiece and diaphragm necessary to play these notes. Perhaps counterintuitively, it actually helps to practice long tones in the lower range of the saxophone to gain the aptitude for exploiting the altissimo register.
Bristol’s young alto saxophonists include Sophie Stockham, who plays with Dakhla, and Andrew Neil Hayes, who is part of several local ensembles, including Edenheight and Ruckus Collective. They continue the Bristol tradition of producing top quality musicians.