Mike Phillips
Maceo Parker
Eric Leeds
Najee
Candy Dulfer
Eddie Minnifield


Maceo is a legend sure. Mike Phillips is irritating because he does nothing but horn tricks.

Eric Leeds IS the Mpls horn sound. He is the quintessential Prince sax man. You know it is him on the first note in a Prince song. He is also the coolest one.

Eric all the way!

I'd say Eric Leeds by a country mile. The most important contributor to Princes music/sound in my opinion.

Definitely Eric. To me, he's the Charlie Parker of Funk. His lines are way out there, yet they're always unmistakably funky.

Maceo comes in a close second. As Prince once said, Maceo is the funk. He fits like a glove over a JB or George Clinton groove, but Prince's music demands a more adventurous approach IMO, and Eric supplied that.

Mike Phillips is a genius on his instrument, but yeah, he can get a bit 'showy' at times. Candy is solid. I've never really been a fan of Najee or Eddie M.

Let's not forget Kathy J! She killed the bari-sax during the 1991-93 period. She also plays a really memorable solo somewhere on the Rave DVD (on alto).
[Edited 2/20/10 6:49am]

True I would have 2 say that Eric is the more talented one, but let's not forget about Eddie, especially his solo in the "America" video. I prefer Eddie over Atlanta Bliss any day. I think the combination of Eric Leeds and Eddie M. works well together as a unit, again check out the "America" video...It's truly one of the funkiest horn arrangements outside of "Billy Jack Bitch".

Eric hands down. To me, Candy was cool, but she was eye candy. Maceo was James Brown. So, I never really connected with him. Eddie M. Even though Sheila E was with the Prince family and everything, Eddie was a Sheila thing. So I never really connected him with Prince. But to me, Eric Leeds was Da Man. When I think of sax players with Prince, Eric jumps out.

Eric Leeds + Atlanta Bliss was a great horn section in general. Eric was the glue in that.

His best SOUNDING horn section was the NPG Hornheadz. They just had a full sound because there were 5 of them. They weren't nearly as tight as Eric on anything though.

Eric.

Eric Leeds.

Ain't none other!

when it comes to collaborations with prince i have 2 say leeds.

but you already know who the king is.


MAAACCEEEOOOOO

ERIC !!!!

Eric Leeds...


I loathe Candy btw. She is two notes shy of Kenny G-dome. And her dead swan dancing is the death of me.

sosgemini said:

Eric of course. No Contest.

I always wondered what was up with Eddie M's "screech/squeak" sounds he would make often (with Sheila and on the PR tour). It didn't sound right.

On Shelia's later tours he sounded much better.

But I love Eddie's work on the Jesse jonhson's CD ! And the mythical America video with the two sax players blowing their heart out !!!!

Aaron6 said:

Eddie M sound in Uptown is very powerful making his first appearances on albums via Romance 16000 and ATWIAD:the Ladder & Tempation

I like Eric L. & Eddie M. equally, both have different styles

Eddie's sound is strong and it sounds wicked, I love his sax sound on Dear Michaelangelo, A Love Bizzarre, I think he did a song or 2 that appeared on Sheila E. too

Eddie's sax is sexual
Eric's sax is sensual perfect in songs like Susannah's Pajamas, Mutiny, Girls & Boys, that little wicked saxgasm in Scarlet Pussy

Sheila used to take Eddie everywhere she went, there is a youtube clip of Sheila & Eddie at a Parade era aftershow with Mazarati, Eddie just swets it up


no comparison with Eddie(sax) & Atlanta Bliss(trumpet) 2 different instruments

I agree about the energy of Eddie & Eric, both jammed 2gether on the Purple Rain tour so they were bathed in that energy

I would love 4 Prince or Sheila 2 show up with both of them at shows, those 2 are enough

Eric Leeds of course. But I also dig Eddie Minninfield´s sound a lot. I can´t imagine any of the songs Eric Leeds or Eddie M. contributed to without them. They both have a very unique sound that we all associate with Prince in his glory days.

Maceo is the king and both Eric and Eddie look up to him but Maceo will always be James Brown´s saxplayer. He´s too much of his own legend to really fit into Prince´s universe.

Still nice to see that Prince finally got Maceo to play for him, considering that he would sometimes pretend that Maceo was already in his band during rehearsals in the 80s, where he would shout his name during songs like "Chocolate" or other songs.

I'd go for Eric, but I also love Eddie M's sound.

Duh Eric!

Eric and Maceo

KoolEaze said:

that's a strong point there... when a person is already established, 2 me it doesn't add 2 Prince's music/sound
Same with Larry Graham ,he was is & always be Sly & the Family Stone
[Edited 2/25/10 9:07am]

Eric.

this is a no Brainer!
Eric Leeds

Leeds by 2 life times.

Eddie Minnifield is my fav but I love all the horn sections Prince's had over the years. I love his solo on the outro jam on the 84' live version of Baby I'm A Star, Glamourus Life, and Jesse Johnson's "Every Shade Of Love"

GaryMF said:

That "screech/squeak" is the same sound made when you know ya knockin the bottom/lickin the linin outta that punany lol
[b][Edited 3/2/10 17:23pm]

Graycap23 said:

I agree. He has had some talented sax players, but the one whose sound I identify most with Prince is Eric. When I saw Eric playing at the family reunion thing a couple of years ago at the Caboose, I couldn't help but wish he was still with P. I loved his sound with P. I even love the Eric Leeds solo albums with Prince on them. Something about those two together always resonates with me. Even on the Aladdin DVD, the "U Want Me" song they did together was one of my favorite parts of that DVD.

Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing Maceo with P also because it represented a history. Maceo played with James, George and finally P. Having met them both, I can say that Maceo and Eric are some cool cats, too, which is always great. However, at the end of the day, Eric Leeds + Prince = magic.

Leeds. You just know it's him. Can't wait for the Fdeluxe album cause he's gonna be all over it.
[Edited 3/3/10 6:24am]

Say what you will about Paisley Park Records but most of what it put out there was wonderful. The first 2 Eric Leeds solo albums were spellbounding.

I never realised Candy was a man. He must wear even more makeup than Prince!