Here is a burnin’ tenor saxophone solo on Softly as a Morning Sunrise that the young saxophonist, Ryan Devlin posted on Facebook a number of months ago.  As soon as I heard it, I saved the URL to my computer file entitled “Solos to Transcribe”.  Yesterday, I decided to get her done and here is the transcription below in Bb, Eb and C.

Ryan Devlin (photo from his website)

If you haven’t heard of Ryan Devlin, then you are in for a treat.  The first time I heard him playing on social media I thought, “Wow, this guy has listened to a lot of 70’s Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman!”  Ryan uses a lot of that language which uses a ton of Coltrane 3-tonic lines, chromaticism and pentatonics (Check out Elvin Jones “Live at the Lighthouse” if you don’t know what I am writing about).   Along with those concepts, Ryan adds a ton of energy and “in-your-face” rawness to create an edge of your seat performance.

Many of you will be confused by many of the lines played in this transcription.   As I say in many of my video lessons,  “you can play whatever you want while improvising as long as you play it with confidence and resolve it.”   George Garzone  basically told me this in lessons while I was at Berklee and the whole concept just totally blew my young “analytical-everything has to make sense and be correct” mindset at the time.

As you can see in the transcription, Ryan is sticking to the form and hitting the changes at some key spots but in  between those moments, it’s like the wild west of jazz improvisation with lots of the concepts I mentioned above to fill the lines.  This kind of playing always puts me on the edge of my seat because the listener doesn’t know where it is going or how the player is going to get out of these complicated lines.    When they do, it feels incredible and magical.   Ryan does a great job of this in this short solo.   I hope you enjoy it as much as I did transcribing it.

If you want to know more about Ryan Devlin, check out his website and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.  He is always posting new videos of his playing to check out.  I love watching these young up and coming players progress and mature before our very eyes and I look forward to his future musical endeavors.  Thanks to Ryan Devlin for sharing his playing with us in the video below,,,,,,,even if you are in your boxers……hahaha!

Audio Clip of Ryan Devlin playing solo over Softly as a Morning Sunrise

Ryan Devlin Playing a One Chorus Melody/Solo over “Softly as a Morning Sunrise” from Facebook/Instagram

If you like these types of modern lines like I do, be sure to check out my Devastating Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing for Minor and Dominant Grooves. These two books are filled with great modern 16th note lines in all 12 keys that you can learn and use while soloing.  Check out all the 5 star reviews! Steve

Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing

Devastating Dominant Lines for Jazz & Funk