# Jazz sax player who took \>20 choruses in a solo **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [July 29, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-sax-player-who-took-20-choruses-in-a-solo/968790 "2022-07-29T18:35:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-sax-player-who-took-20-choruses-in-a-solo/968790/1 "2022-07-29T18:35:54Z")
I have heard a legendary story of a sax player performing with a famous big band (I am thinking Count Basie or maybe Duke Ellington) back in the 40s or 50s. During a concert performance this sax player was particularly hot and instead of one chorus (the norm for a big band solo) he took chorus after chorus, up to something like 28. I cannot remember the player, the band, or the song. Google is not helping. Sound familiar to anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-sax-player-who-took-20-choruses-in-a-solo/968790/2 "2022-07-29T18:43:12Z")
It was Paul Gonsalves in “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue,” with Duke Ellington at Newport, 1956. [https://www.amazon.com/Ellington-At-Newport-1956-Duke/dp/B00000IMYA](https://www.amazon.com/Ellington-At-Newport-1956-Duke/dp/B00000IMYA) 27 choruses. Blow, man, blow. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-sax-player-who-took-20-choruses-in-a-solo/968790/3 "2022-07-29T18:55:38Z")
I saw The Yellowjackets at an intimate venue in Pittsburgh decades ago. Toward the end of their set they each took a turn doing a long solo, then left the stage. The last man up there was the drummer, who played and played and played. After the show was over, I was chatting with the venue’s owner and found out the drummer’s family was in the house! ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-sax-player-who-took-20-choruses-in-a-solo/968790/4 "2022-07-29T19:28:16Z")
That’s the one. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-sax-player-who-took-20-choruses-in-a-solo/968790/5 "2022-07-29T21:07:35Z")
There’s a similar story about Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman.