The saxophone

About “The saxophone”

A book by Stephen Cottrell offers the first comprehensive study of the saxophone, tracing its social, historical, and cultural development. The book begins by examining the invention of the saxophone by Adolph Sax and explores how the instrument's design evolved over time. It also looks at the saxophone's spread through military bands in the nineteenth century and its popularity in American popular music at the start of the twentieth century. The book covers the saxophone's role in classical music, contemporary art music, world music, and especially jazz, where it has become closely associated.