Favorite non-bass, non-guitar solos

[Skitch it!]

Loads, too many by lots of different players on different instruments. One of the stranger (if you like) ones I love, Mike Garsons piano solo on Bowies - Aladdin Sane, and pretty much everything he plays on that track and the other stuff, Bowie had to pay a big retainer to keep him on tour, I can see why,
Cue to 2.00 for the solo, keep in mind what he's trying to portray, if you do,

 

[bucephylus]

Ricky Ford and Don Pullen's work on Mingus Changes Two.

Bobby Mintzer's bass clarinet solo right before Donna Lee with Jaco at the '82 (I believe) montreal Jazz Festival. Killin'.

All the solos on Miles Davis All Blues. Miles had this group solo concept, and you can hear the soloists handing off to each other various motifs, like a relay run. Masterpiece. Quintessential.

Yeah, if you REALLY want to solo, there is mostly a lot of non-bass stuff that has great lines.

I also plain out just dig almost any of Bird's heads to his tunes. Maybe not solos, but there is so much content there alone.

 

[EdMerc]

Kid Koala's "Drunk Trumpet"

Ah... Your mom's favorite DJ. I remember first hearing that and being like, "Um... What?". Hard to do, but not exactly moving.

The final piano solo in Triptico, Gotan Project is awesome.

 

[kxt]

jazz
- don menza's incredible solo in the recording of "channel 1 suite" (buddy rich big band, live at caeser's palace)
- sir roland hanna's piano intro to "take the a train" by lincoln center jazz orchestra
- miles and trane in "all blues"
- trane in "giant steps"
- paul desmond's solo on the dave brubeck quartet's "blue rondo a la turk"
- charlie parker's "confirmation"

classical
- schumann's piano concerto
- the solo sections of gershwin's rhapsody in blue
- vladimir ashkenazy's superb version of moonlight sonata
- murray perahia's recording of chopin's piano etudes, esp. #3 and #4 in op. 10

other
- ben folds' awesomely creative solo on the recorded live take of "philosophy"
- i went to see vienna teng (indie pianist/singer) live in concert in a small outdoor venue. at the beginning of one of her slow songs a police car drove by, siren on loudly. instead of getting shaken she played what i can only describe as an accompaniment to it. just thinking of it still sends chills up my spine. a wonderfully creative moment that was brilliant.

 

[bassolp]

for the saxophone

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

Ah... Your mom's favorite DJ. I remember first hearing that and being like, "Um... What?". Hard to do, but not exactly moving.

The final piano solo in Triptico, Gotan Project is awesome.

Just poking a bit of fun at some of the posts. Killer track, but, as you said, not exactly moving.


Two drum contributions that spring to mind are Mahavishnu's Awakening (Cobham's drum break at the end of the track is absolutely monstrous) and Ginger Baker's performance on the infamous live cut of Toad.

 

[Joe Gress]

 

[Lindsay]

So many..., but the first one that springs to mind is Kenny Kirkland's piano solo on Bring on the Night by Sting.

+1 to any solo by Stevie Wonder playing chromatic harmonica

 

[prd004]

John Paul Jones keyboard solo on "All of My Love"

 

[fractiouslowend]

the piano solo in 'i know a little ' by lynyrd skynyrd
the xylophone / glockenspiel solos on any frog brigade song

 

[Rojo Grande]

Oliver Nelson on "Stolen Moments", from the record "Blues and the Abstract Truth".

 

[Chrisk-K]

Loads. I'll just pick one guy, Eddie Jobson

Mini Moog solo on "I Promise Not to Come in Your Mouth".
CS-80 solo on "Nevermore".
Violin solo on "Caesar's Palace Blues".

 

[Munjibunga]

I like Dave Grusin's piano solo in "Cats of Rio." It starts at 3:25 in the video. I believe the bassist is Jimmy Johnson.

 

[JoZac21]

Pretty much anything that ever came out of saxes played by John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Wayne Shorter and Ornette Coleman. I've always been a huge sax fan and even played for a short bit... honestly, if I listed my favorites from these guys it would make up the content of a book... so I'll just leave it at everything.

 

[Deathblade Eric]

Jon Lord's keyboard solo in Deep Purple's "Pictures of Home." His Hammond organ was an absolute beast.

Close call, bu I'm going to have to go with the main solo on the studio cut of 'Lazy' from 3:08 onwards:

 

[champbassist]

Considering solos I actually find beautiful, as opposed to those I find technically brilliant, I'd say the keyboard solos on Brian Eno's I'll Come Running, Dream Theater's Pull Me Under and Scarred and the flute solo in The Court Of The Crimson King. Also the saxophone outro to Fortress Around Your Heart by Sting if that counts.