Buona Sera Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription by Sam Butera

This is one of the "must know saxophone solo"'s. Sam Butera's roaring solo on Louis Prima's Buona Sera.

This is in fact a transcription originally done by my father, in the times they used to transcribe from a tape recorder (my father would transcribe and dictate my uncle who would notate it ). I found this one and enhanced it a bit but most of the credits for this one go to my father (and uncle for that matter).

This is a classic in the tenor saxphone solo repertoire. I tried to notate it as accurately as possible in terms of articulation, only the growl is not added to the sheet.

-Note: The long notes under a legato are mostly done by half tonguing, where you keep the air going and push the notes with your tongue halfway the reed.

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If you have any questions regarding the solo, ask!

[flintlong]

Thank you for posting this. I knew Sam Butera a little bit, and I used to play this exact solo on the piano. (I'm a professional pianist and used to play in Las Vegas). My trio would open for Sam Butera at the Aladdin. He was a sweet, kind, dear, wonderful man. The first time I heard this solo it was when my dad came home with The Wildest album when I was just a kid, probably in the late fifties. My dad used to leave our California home and drive, in a jacket and tie (and my mom all dressed up) to Las Vegas to catch Prima at the Sahara or whereever. My dad was the biggest Prima/Butera fan imaginable, so when I started playing Vegas and meeting Sam, my dad was overjoyed! We both love tenor anyway, and I play a little tenor too, so I guess it all worked together. Thank you for keeping Sam and his wonderful solos alive, especially this one. Another good one, I suggest is the one on Exactly like You, from the old Wildest album that came out after this one, The Call of the Wildest! Thanks again, Flint Long

[BAC]

Oh do you have the Alto version ? You would help me a lot.