Jazz Styles

Michael Brecker’s Solo Tenor Sax Intro from

Delta City Blues

PDF Transcription for Bb Tenor Saxophone with

Performance Instructions
 Delta City Blues - Michael Brecker
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Transcribed by Jacam Manricks

œœœ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ Iœ . œ U
w
rubato

& 44 ΠΠJ

œ œœœ œ œ œ œO œ œO œ œ œ œ œ œ O œ œ œ œ œ œ
q = 140

&œ œ œ œ b œ ~
œ œ œ
6

œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ bO œ

œ O O œ O œ œO œ œO œ
œ
œ œO œ œ œO œ œ œ œ œO œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œœ
&œ œ ‰ œ œ
11

œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ

œœœœœœ œœœ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ O œ œ bœ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ~œ œ
15

& œ
bO

œ œ œ œ œ
œ #œ #œ #œ nœ œ #œ œ œ # œ n œ # œ œ #œ nœ œ œ œœœ œ œ 3
≈
& œœœœœ œ œ ‰ œ 4
18

bœ œ œ b œ ~œ œ œ œ ~ bœ œ œ œ
j
& 43 b œ ~œ œ ‰ œ 44 œ œ bœ ‰ œ œœœ b œ ‰ 43
21

œ œ

~ ~ œ. U
œ œ œ œ U
rubato

3 œ œ œ œ œ 44 J œ .
œ
42 J Ó
25

&4
 Jacam Manricks
Saxophonist, Composer, Educator

Notes on How I Play the ‘Delta City Blues Intro’ as recorded by Michael Brecker

For the scoops in the rubato passage I use a combo of larynx manipulation and alternate
fingerings. You can hear how RnB and rock guitarists influenced him here and the way with
which they slide and bend pitches. It also reminds me of the way Johnny Hodges scoops.

But before we get to that… I think he’s double tonguing the opening G’s. Either that or he’s
extremely fast at single tonguing. I couldn’t quite do it with the same crisp attack so use a
breath attack for the first G then single tongue the last two.

I finger the scoops up to high D as a high C# initially, but also use my larynx to bring the pitch
down further. Then I ease onto the palm D as I bring the pitch up, again using my larynx in
addition to the fingering change C#-D.

For the ‘scoop’ on G: I play the note ‘in-tune’ then quickly lower the right hand F# and E keys
slightly (about half way) and simultaneously used my larynx to lower the pitch. Then I slowly let
the F# and E keys open while using my larynx to further control the gradual pitch bend up
toward a G, in tune.

I play the ‘harmonics’ in Bar 7 actually as ‘undertones’. In other words, fingering the high D and
E without the octave key.

I finger the multiphonic in the 9th and 17th measures like a low Bb but without the F# key
(middle finger) in the right hand. I also had to slide my emboucher further on the mouthpiece
to get that more raucous stank sound lol.

These are just the fingerings and methods I worked out on my particular Mark VI, which is a
1960 European made one with silver plated keys. All players and horns can and do invariably
differ. I hope this was of use to you. Please subscribe to my Youtube channel and website. You
can stream my new album ‘Samadhi’ and all other releases for free at
https://www.jacammanricks.com/music

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