Charles Ruggiero's "Tenor Attitudes": An Analytical Approach to Jazz Styles and Influences
Charles Ruggiero has spent much of his career composing saxophone music that blends classical and jazz idioms. His most recent work for Tenor Saxophone and Piano, Tenor Attitudes, reflects his most overtly jazz influenced piece to date. This piece is meant to recreate the styles of seven of history's most celebrated jazz tenor saxophonists: Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, John Coltrane, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, and Sonny Rollins. This document discusses the lives and careers of each of these musicians. It analyzes their personal histories, preferred genres, and styles in an attempt to aid performers in accurately and sincerely performing this piece of music. It also suggests various recordings of the seven performers that would be the most beneficial for study in the preparation of this piece. Most importantly, it discusses the idiomatic qualities in these musician's style, and how to incorporate them into a performance of Tenor Attitudes. In addition, an interview with composer Charles Ruggiero is included which offers additional insight into his thoughts on this piece of music, as well as on the saxophone in general.
Third Stream, Charles Ruggiero, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Classical, Jazz
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