Today is the 200th birthday of Adolphe Sax, the man who invented the wonderful saxophone. He was a Belgian instrument maker, flautist, and clarinetist. While working at his father's instrument shop in Brussels, Sax began developing an instrument that had the projection of a a brass and the agility of a woodwind. It's only fitting that this classy instrument has a day of recognition all to its own.
John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Johnny Hodges-- there's a long list of great saxophone players. And of course Charlie "Bird" Parker (1920-1955) remembered and admired for his groundbreaking solo techniques and as one of the founders of bebop. He had an enormous influence on other musicians.
Charlie Parker with Strings, recorded in 1949 on the Clef label, is considered one of his finest albums. It includes this truly brilliant rendition of Summertime from Gershwin's 1935 opera, Porgy and Bess.
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