Sax No End - Clarke/Boland Big Band

Based on the changes for 'Chinatown', here's a 1968 recording (slightly abbreviated - live, it could go on for 20 minutes) of Francy Boland's 'Sax No End', featuring one of the best saxophone sections of any jazz orchestra ever. Soloists in order are: Johnny Griffin, Tony Coe, Ronnie Scott, Sahib Shihab & Derek Humble. The solos are great, but just wait for the soli section where all five play as one. Having Kenny Clarke and Kenny Clare behind you helps a bit too...

[@ericdreizen1463]

Greatest big band ever to come out of Europe, no question. Could've heard them one night only at Donte's in LA & didn't go. Been kicking myself ever since. Clare & Clarke made the 2-drummer combination come as close to working as I've heard!

[@bindella6210]

Derek Humble was a Big Band Genius, one of the geratest lead altos ever, an unsung Hero.

[@cfb15jan]

Utterly agree.

[@stpd1957]

I agree

[@TrumpetTNT]

He died tragically young. He never really recovered after being mugged in Cologne during a KCFB Big Band tour. He died less than a year later

[@俊-o6o]

血が騒ぐー！！　This sax ensemble makes my heart awfully crying. Great performance !!

[@najponkjazz9111]

Best stuff ever!!!! Killer Band 💿 thank you🎹

[@countcoupe]

Just being able to see footage of this band playing live is a honour. Clarke and Clare are a tour de force. I grew up listening to both volumes of the recordings of the band at Ronnie Scots club. Ronnie Scot is a national treasure.

[@cfb15jan]

Francy Boland's band was just the best post-war BB anywhere in Europe (very much including UK), where brilliant scoring was fully equalled by musicians at the top of their game. The only other band I know of to challenge this level of playing and writing was Kurt Edelhagen's. And several of his outfit also played in the FB-KC BB. Wonderful stuff.

[@Henderbeast]

I like the space that Tony puts into his solo; lets you think about the last phrase before playing the next

[@PecosRiverBrass]

Another great chart from the pen of Francy Boland. It's as much fun to listen to as it is to play. He was a unique writer for big band with the way he voiced the sax section, and I too love the three tenor (like Woody) sound. Thanks for posting. John C. Smith, Dallas

[@jammiebeez]

great to see a live rendition of this work which was on one of the first jazz records i ever bought and still after 30 years one of my favorites

[@JanWTromp]

One of the best sax chorus ever written, but this band was much better then many others. The famous concert in London is available again on two LP's. Top arrangements better then Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Don Ellis or name any band. There is a CD with Carmen McRae, great!

[@trumpete53snoho]

SO great to see this awesome tune being played! I've probably listened to it a thousand times over the last 40 years... dig the 'psychedelic' effects from the TV production! So '60's! :-)

[@MrJazzologist1]

A unique, once in a lifetime band. Unafraid of depth combined with superb soloists. Jazz just had to have a bunch like this in its repertoire.

[@gabigispert8698]

Una de les millors cordes de saxos que hi ha hagut, principalment Derek Humble un dels grans desconeguts del saxo alt......fantàstic.

[@hankmobley]

Derek Humble used Tenor reeds on Alto , he cut em either side . Pete King told me that . Griffin told a mate of mine Derek Humble was one of the greatest Saxophone Players he ever worked with....

[@arrourasanti2]

Derek Humble is the man, hands down

[@Bari251]

Once again the wonderful Sahib Shihab on bari!! Great sound, great band!

[@DesoloZantas]

Those drums YES!

[@mikeos1]

Tony is still terrific. We saw him last year with a big band. With new kneecaps he's as good as ever!

[@vova47]

That was some band!! The sax section writing is a lost art. Francis was so great at that. Every man in that section is a great Jazz musician and that really is why they can sound so great and swing together. Of course, having Klook laying that beat behind you does not exactly hurt!

[@Cheeseford]

Yes, Seffrid. Quirky's the right word. Tony's a unique player, and I think he was just trying to do something different to Johnny and Ronnie either side of him. They were both linear, so he went for angular. Bear in mind that this is a much abbreviated version of the number - all of the other live versions I've heard are at least 10 minutes long, giving each player a longer solo.

[@jamieforjazz]

Derek Humble was one of the greatest lead altos-just ask Phil Woods.

[@saulbeat]

wow - just got a record of this group - wow - all the records are cool as clarke and clare on on totally separate channels so you can actually check out what they are in invidually doing. clare seems to hold the back beat more and clarke does all the fiddly bits. in the snare. what a band !

[@Maddie0194]

One band I would love to have seen live, preferably at Ronnie Scott's Club

[@cfb15jan]

So agree!

[@Cheeseford]

When the two drummers are Kenny Clarke and Kenny Clare, it works just fine for me.

[@mikebuddy1]

I had the good fortune many years ago to haveTony Coe sit in on a session that we used to havey every sunday in dublin. He did have a sound & style that was unique and was playing great sax then. Is he still playing?

[@BrewskLitovsk]

The changes are taken from the old warhorse "Chinatown, My Chinatown". For more versions of "Sax No End" feel free to visit my blog (link in profile). Hope this helps.

[@jazz1bro]

amazing!!!

[@bbconvention]

The piece was written by Francy Boland for the "Orchester Kurt Edelhagen" probably in 1962 as an arrangement of "Chinatown". It presented the different sections in the band and had special features for trumpets and trombones also. There were no improvised solos. This piece here is "only" the last part of the original version. Neither is it a transcription (but original Boland), nor was it written for these guys. Derek Humble was a member of Edelhagen´s band in 1962 but the others weren´t.

[@weitulong]

Goddamn! That ending! Fantastic stuff.

[@jazzjanne1]

Awesome!

[@MO-1888]

Progressive background visuals too 👍

[@Henderbeast]

Does anyone know whether the five man solo was written especially for the guys or is a transcription of someone else's solo? Humble's loving it - he's outblowing everyone!

[@arrourasanti2]

i like the 19 minute version!

[@sclogse1]

I have their stunning Handle With Care on reel to reel....and just got the CD in the mail today...seems to sound on CD like an early CD. Treble is wack. But, man...that album is huuuuuge. Get it.

[@Alino17]

Tony Coe is a genius

[@Ici-st4hg]

kicks my blues away

[@grantmacgregor6223]

While not BB, Oscar Peterson's version of this is also brilliant.

[@Strongscotch]

thats a SWINGIN' band... love it!!!

[@alansu65ahus]

さすがクラーク～ボラーン楽団。

[@channelonesuite]

Derek Humble could make that alto sing.

[@luka99medak]

I know this is a stupid question, but i'm trying to find something simular to this, but it goes: parara ra pa pa pa pa pa parararara rararara ra pum pum...

[@BrewskLitovsk]

P.S. -- Have spotted young German free jazz avant-gardist Manfred Schoof in the trumpet section. Funny!

[@cfb15jan]

Agreed, that rather unusual haircut for a session/jazz player. Probably the best German trumpet/Fluegel player around at the time.

[@Egbert1957]

... kann ich nur beipflichten. Die Sax No End Version LIVE at RonnysClub ist noch um einiges besser. Aber es gibt NOCH eine SUPER-Live-Version von Orchester Kurt Edelhagen ca. aus dem Jahre 1962 oder 64, aus Tour-Ostdeutschland, wo Boland viele Titel arrangierte und ein großer Teil der Boland-Musiker NOCH bei Edelhagen in Köln waren.

[@jazznutz]

Everyone is a critic. There are no duds here, just different things to say. Once again, Shut the hell up unless you are up there doing better. This is real music.

[@itmsjim]

Awesome!!! However, why have two drummers? It just means that everyone is making a little less cash ;-)

[@hommefriday]

@Seffrid Although, I do feel he was more creative when playing the alto.

[@MegaBigDank]

What changes is this over?

[@deanmasser7445]

MegaBigDank Chinatown My Chinatown

[@Larryamg]

Two drummer thing sucks the whole thing down.