Hamiet Bluiett

The most prominent baritone saxophonist of his generation, Hamiet Bluiett combined a blunt, modestly inflected attack with a fleet, aggressive technique, and (maybe most importantly) a uniform hugeness of sound that extended from his horn's lowest reaches to far beyond what is usually its highest register. Probably no other baritonist played so high, with so much control; Bluiett's range traveled upward into an area usually reserved for the soprano or even sopranino. His technical mastery aside, Bluiett's solo voice was unlikely to be confused with any other. Enamored with the...