Learning to play saxophone can be an extremely rewarding experience. Whether you’re learning soprano, tenor, alto or baritone – the saxophone is widely considered to be the most accessible of all the woodwinds.

With new technology constantly being developed to make our lives easier, it has never been a better time to refine your skills on the sax! I’ve done some research and have found a few apps that has the potential to make your life much easier! Here are 5 Apps you can use to improve your saxophone playing:

Fingering

Find in the Apple Store

How you can use it: this app will be perfect for beginners or those who have trouble remember any obscure fingerings.

This is an amazingly useful app – learning correct fingerings is a core aspect of improving your playing and will undoubtedly give your skills an upgrade!

The app provides in-depth fingering charts for both brass and woodwind instruments. The app includes trill fingerings for minor and major 2nd intervals, as well as additional fingerings for minor and major 3rd trills.

If alternate fingerings are available for notes or trills – you can navigate through them to find the right one for you. Visual guides are also included for key names and locations to further understand the fingering charts.

Personally, I think the user interface is a little clunky – but you can tell the developer has done their best to pack all the information onto the screen without too much crowding.

Available to buy on the Apple store, this app is exclusively for iOs devices. At $4.99, it’s a reasonable price for a tool packed full of features. There’s also an additional Fingering app optimized for iPad.

Anytune Pro+

Find in the Apple Store

How you can use it: perfect for learning songs by ear or for transcribing.

This is an excellent app for any teacher or student to implement into practice routines. It allows users to manipulate the tempo and pitch independently of one another. This app won ‘Best Mac Music App of 2013’ – so you know it must be something special!

With the touch of a button you can speed up or slow the tempo down – this is great for transcription or learning a new tune. Adjusting the pitch is also incredibly simple and allows a 24 semitone (two octaves) shift up or down.

The interface is pretty intuitive and focuses on the visualisation of the audio. This is great for multiple reasons. Scanning through the song to find the section you need is easy with the waveform represented so clearly.

The app also provides infinite markers – so you can place a marker on a verse, chorus or solo section you need. You can also loop between markers so you can keep practicing one section over as many times as you need!

This app is also portable – meaning you can use it on your iPad, iPhone, or even your desktop! Anytune Pro+ has a free trial available for Mac OS, so if you’re curious to try it out – give it a go! However, if you’re a music teacher, the developers have kindly made the upgrade to Pro+ completely free!

Reframe (bundled with Anytune Pro+)

Find in the Apple Store

How you can use it: use this app to remove other instruments from the track. This way you can isolate the saxophone to learn the piece and play along to the backing track when you’re finished.

Reframe is created by the same developers of Anytune and comes bundled with Anytune Pro+. Reframe displays frequencies across the spectrum in a funky and colorful interface, and allows you to crop, edit, mute or isolate these sections, much like cropping or editing an image.

Along with customised user control, there are also a list of presets, such as ‘Remove Vocals’ or ‘Solo Bass’; the app detects these instruments automatically and completes the job with the touch of a button.

This is incredibly useful if you want to remove your instrument from a recording so you can practice the part in your session, but still have the band to play along with so you can get immersed!

Or, you may want to remove the rest of the parts playing and focus on your own so you can learn or transcribe it.

Whatever the case, Reframe’s algorithm is excellent and does a great job at detecting and isolating the different instruments in a song.

The ability to use it in conjunction with Anytune Pro+ gives you access to so many features that are sure to make your practice sessions fruitful!

Tuner & Metronome

Find in the Google Play Store

How you can use it: an easy to use all-in-one tuner, metronome and recording app.

Available on the Google Play store – for a very sweet price of nothing! For a free app, it’s had excellent feedback from the community.

With a 4.5/5 star rating by a whopping 47,129 users – it’s obvious this app is satisfying a lot of musicians.

The interface for this app is incredibly streamlined and simple; looking very user friendly and slick. With a touch of a button you can toggle the metronome on and off, access the tuner, select a rhythmic pattern and even record your playing!

There are some amazing additional features available for purchase within the app as well.

If you’re practicing in a noisy environment or the volume limit of your phone isn’t sufficient to hear the beats on your metronome, this app offers a fantastic solution – visual beats. The flashlight on your camera serves as your metronome!

Saxophone All-in-one

Find in the Google Play Store

How you can use it: use it for checking scales, referencing fingering, and transposing songs.

Saxophone All-in-one aims to provide you with everything you’d want as a saxophone player. It provides you with a collection of the most popular Blues scales as well as providing you with the common Major and Minor scales.

This app is well suited for beginner players. More advanced players may find a few features lacking – such as fingerings for the altissimo notes.

However, it’s a great app to have if you find yourself transposing songs from one key to the next. Keep in mind that it only offers transpositions for alto saxs.
The app also offers a select number of tutorials for beginners. Again, more experienced players will find little value in these tutorials except for maybe a quick refresher.

ForScore

Find in Apple Store

How you can use it: use it to organize and keep track of your sheet music.

ForScore is an excellent organisational tool developed exclusively for iOs devices. The interface is stunning and simple; sorting and accessing your sheet music is going to be an absolute breeze with this app.

ForScore can import pretty much any PDF score, as well as connect to various cloud based servers such as Dropbox.

You can keep your scores organised by tagging them – it could be the name of a composer, period or genre. ForScore will categorise and sort everything for ease of access!

Adding annotations to your scores is a simple process – you can use or edit presets to add notes, markings or symbols to any score.

Sharing scores is also simple; through email, Bluetooth and even Airdrop.

For $9.99, this is an easily justifiable purchase that will completely transform your sheet music collection!

Conclusion

The saxophone is a beautiful instrument, with so many benefits from playing. It’s a social instrument that thrives in the context of a band, and has a beautifully unique and distinct tone with a relaxing and smooth feel that characterizes jazz!

Musicians need tools to refine, practice and ultimately improve their craft. With so many apps available to musicians these days, it’s easy to get a little lost in all the noise.

This list will give you more tools that are genuinely useful at your disposal – while helping you get more out of your sessions!

About the author: Glen Parry has been a musician for over 15 years. He’s done everything the hard way so you don’t have to. You can find more musical advice and audio gear buying guides, such as this guide for selecting pianos, over at AudioMastered.com.

The post Five Apps That Will Improve Your Saxophone Playing appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Introduction

This marks my 7^th year attending NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) and the show keeps getting better and better every year. Similar to my experience at the 2017 NAMM Show (2017 NAMM Show Saxophone Gear Roundup), the 2018 NAMM Show was full of exhibitors showcasing products such as: necks, ligatures, mouthpieces, reeds, neck-straps, cases and of course, saxophones. With only four days to see it all, I tried my best to test play as many products as I possibly could. Unfortunately (as it happens every year), I was not able to meet with every exhibitor I wanted to as well as spend hours upon hours trying out each piece of gear. I will be reviewing some of the new products I was able to test play at the show this year and will also note products that I hope to test play at a later date.

 These products, in no particular order….

P Mauriat Master 97 Tenor Saxophone

When I stopped by the P Mauriat booth this year, I saw that they had released a few new products. These products were the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor and P Mauriat Premium saxophone reeds. Due to the popularity of the P Mauriat Master 97 alto, P Mauriat has finally unveiled their Master 97 tenor. Similar to the alto, the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor showcases unique features such as: newly designed right thumb hook, improved side key-action, a 4 point bell brace, an improved octave key mechanism for smoother action, and sterling silver octave pips. Similar to my experience with the P Mauriat Master 97 alto, the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor did not disappoint. I found the overall sound was quite flexible so whether you are a classical or jazz saxophonist, this horn would work well in both situations. The intonation on the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor was quite good as well as the overall action and construction was solid. The overall weight of the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor was slightly heavier than the other P Mauriat models I tried at the booth. I personally think the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor is the best model that P Mauriat is currently offering and hope to see some of these new features incorporated into their existing models (P Mauriat 66, 67, & 76 2^nd edition models).

Video

NAMM 2018 P Mauriat Master 97 Tenor Saxophone

P Mauriat Premium Saxophone Reeds

I have seen more saxophone manufacturers starting to expand their product line to include various accessories. This year, P Mauriat was showcasing their own line of saxophone reeds. The P Mauriat Premium saxophone reeds are French cane with an un-filed cut. I was given a box of strength 3 reeds and tried all five. I found the cane responded well and did not see any blemishes or imperfections. I did find the reeds to play slightly stiff so I used my ReedGeek to further balance them. Overall, the reeds played fine but I personally prefer other manufactures cane and reed profiles. With that being said, I am glad to see P Mauriat offering additional accessories to complement their current line of saxophones.

Retro-Revival Mouthpieces

I have seen more players switching from their current mouthpiece setup over to one of the mouthpiece offerings by Retro-Revival. I had a chance to test play the “Super D” model (Replica of a vintage link double ring Super Tone Master) at KB saxophone services a few months back and was quite impressed. This year, Retro-Revival had their own booth at the 2018 NAMM Show which was manned by well-known mouthpiece maker/re-facer Eric Falcon and CEO of Retro-Revival mouthpieces, Joel Peskin. While at the booth, Eric introduced me to some of the newer models that just came out before the show which were the “Tru-Res”, “Seventh Ave. South” and “Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3” tenor saxophone mouthpieces.

Retro-Revival “Tru Res” (7*)

The “Tru-Res” is a replica of the classic 1940’s Vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece. This mouthpiece works well whether you are a jazz or classical player and embodies a really dark core that is even from top to bottom. Some players who play the Otto Link Reso chamber are Seamus Blake (before switching to Ted Klum) and Ben Wendel. A unique feature to the “Tru-Res” compared to the original Reso Chamber mouthpieces, is the “Tru-Res” comes in larger tip openings (7*, 8, 8*). I found the “Tru-Res” model to fit its description well. This mouthpiece played evenly from top to bottom, with a very dark core. The “Tru-Res” was designed for players who want a mouthpiece that leans towards the darker side of the sound spectrum. There was some resistance based on the facing but it was not stuffy or tubby. The “Tru-Res” was easy to control and as I pushed more and more of air thru the mouthpiece, the sound did not thin out. I believe those players who are looking for a dark, focused, and edgy mouthpiece will really enjoy the “Tru-Res”.

Video

Bob Sheppard Playing The New “Tru-Res” Replica

Retro-Revival “Seventh Ave. South” .107

The “Seventh Ave. South” is a copy of Joel’s Personal MBII. that Dave Guardala hand made for him when he first started his operation. This model is CNC milled from solid bell brass and then silver plated. The original MBII is a .107 tip opening but in addition, a .116 tip opening is available as well. Each mouthpiece is hand-finished by Eric Falcon to make sure it plays as close to the original. The “Seventh Ave South”, similar to the original MB II has tons of power, core, and center when pushed. This mouthpiece unlike others in its category is a direct Replica from a handmade and hand-picked mouthpiece by its creator Dave Guardala. The original Guardala mouthpieces are incredibly sought after and many players are playing the originals (if they can get their hands on one) as well as various versions from multiple manufactures. I have tried many copies of the various Guardala models and some played better than others. Although my preference is the “Tru- Slant” or “Tru-Res” because I play on an original hard rubber slant link, The “Seventh Ave. South” (.106) played quite well. This mouthpiece was incredibly free blowing with the sound being instant. I believe this mouthpiece would suit players who want no resistance, instant response, and a mouthpiece that can play really loud and project. Of all the Retro Revival models I test played, the altissimo on the “Seventh Ave. South” was the easiest to achieve. If you are a Guardala enthusiast, you should try the “Seventh Ave. South” and see how it compares.

Video

Joel C. Peskin Playing Our New Retro-Revival “Seventh Ave South” Tenor Sax Mouthpiece Replica MB II

Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3 (7*)

“Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3”- was a collaborative design by Eric Falcon and Bob Sheppard. The “Generation 3” is the latest version of Bob Sheppard’s personal favorite mouthpiece which is a fusion of classic design concepts found at Retro Revival and Eric Falcon’s breakthrough modifications that significantly improve response and dynamic range. After playing the “Tru Res”, “Tru Slant”, “Seventh Ave. South” and “Shorty”, Eric asked me to test play the Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3. I had played the 1st and 2nd Generation in the past and was excited to see how the Generation 3 model played in comparison. The Bob Sheppard 1st and 2nd Generation mouthpieces played evenly throughout from low Bb to high F# but contained a level of resistance that I was not used too. The Generation 3rd in comparison was much more-freer blowing and had a complex timbre that was neither too dark nor too bright. The overall sound had warmth as well as edge and like many of Eric’s mouthpieces, you could push a lot of air thru the mouthpiece and feel like you still had the same control from pianissimo to fortissimo. The “Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3” to me was a hybrid model that took characteristics from a Slant Link, Early Babbitt, and Reso chamber and combined it into one mouthpiece. I would highly recommend test playing the “Bob Sheppard Signature Series Model Generation 3” mouthpiece to see how it compares to your setup.

Video

RETRO-REVIVAL BOB SHEPPARD PLAYING HIS NEW “SIGNATURE SERIES” GENERATION 3 TENOR SAX PIECE

Website

https://retro-revival.com/

Boston Sax Shop Heritage Tenor Neck

This year at NAMM, I was fortunate enough to meet up with Jack Finucane, who is the owner+repair technician of the Boston Sax Shop. Jack had two products at the show he wanted me to test play which were his new Heritage neck and the Balam Back Strap. When I spoke with Jack, he informed me that his Heritage Neck was “conceived from his twin passions; restoring vintage saxophones and playing them.” As Jack’s repair work has grown in popularity, he has had the privilege to examine and test-play hundreds of vintage necks. This extensive research helped Jack design his Heritage Neck, which he took little pieces of his favorite attributes from each one that he found to be exceptional. The major influence for this neck comes from the free blowing characteristics Jack found in earlier Selmer’s such as the Radio Improved and Balanced Action horns.

Product Overview

“The Heritage neck plays with more flexibility and has more width to the sound than a standard Mark VI neck without sacrificing control or pitch. I find it offers the player more room to push and opens up the middle register which is often more covered on tenor, producing a more homogeneous sound across the horn. The Bare Brass Heritage Neck is made with a proprietary alloy sourced from Germany. Each neck will form its own naturally beautiful patina over time and handling. The Heritage Neck is precision made to exacting tolerances to ensure consistency, is hand engraved, and comes with a custom neck-fitting included.”

My Thoughts

I tried the Heritage Neck on a Lupifaro Platinum tenor I brought to the show to see how it compared to the stock neck. The Heritage Neck fit was slightly loose but overall fit well enough for me to play test. I was quite surprised by the response on the Heritage Neck. The overall sound had a very nice core and edge that I could push without the sound thinning out. I noticed specifically in the palm keys that the sound was more stable and from top to bottom the horn played more even. The stock Lupifaro neck I have is good but similar to the KB & Tino Schucht saxophone necks I have played in the past, the Heritage Neck offered more tonally and was quite fun to play. I think any player who is interested in experimenting with various necks should absolutely check out the Heritage Neck and see how it compares (More in-depth review to follow).

Website

Boston Sax Shop Heritage Tenor Necks

Balam Back Strap

The 2^nd product Jack had me test out was the Balam Back Strap. The Balam (“Wind” in Korean) Back Strap, is a strap that is handmade in Korea and utilizes full grain leather straps with antiqued cast brass fixtures. Jack told me this strap was designed to alleviate serious neck pressure and place the pressure equally across the shoulders. I found this strap offered pressure relief from my neck which typically I have seen only accomplished with a select few neck-straps and various harnesses. This strap can be used on soprano, alto, tenor and bari by adjusting various strings (see video). The overall quality was very good on the Balam Back Strap and I believe this strap is targeted towards players who are looking for high quality, comfort, and a strap that is going to last them for years and years to come.

Website

Balam Back Strap

Video

Balam Back Strap: YouTube

Silverstein Works

As Silverstein ligatures have grown and grown in popularity over the past few years, Silverstein has added more accessories to its line of products. This year, I had a chance to speak with BK Son, who is the owner of Silverstein Works. BK Son was nice enough to show me his three new products which are the OmniGuard, Alta Reed for alto saxophone, and the OmniPatch.

OmniGuard

The OmniGuard was designed as a lower and upper teeth/lip protector for single and double reed instruments. When I tried the material out on my bottom teeth, it felt quite comfortable and reminded me slightly of the feeling of a mouth-guard that you would use in football or soccer. The material was easy to customize to fit your upper or lower teeth and felt secure once molded. This is a much nicer alternative than what many of us have used in the past which was a piece of plain white paper that we would roll-over our bottom teeth. I see this OmniGuard as a useful accessory for many classical musicians. As someone who primarily plays jazz, I personally prefer to not have paper or a guard on my bottom teeth but, understand the benefit of the OmniGuard. BK Son told me the material should last you 12 months and comes with tweezers and a carrying case for easy transportation and further adjustments.

Website

OmniGuard Product Overview

Video

OmniGuard YouTube Demonstration

Alta Reed (Alto Saxophone)

At last year’s NAMM show, BK Son showed me the Alta Reeds for clarinet but did not have any currently available for saxophone. This year, BK Son gave me a 2.5 Alta alto saxophone reed to test play with the tenor reeds coming out in the near future. If you have not heard of the Alta line of reeds, they are cane that is sourced from the Mediterranean and then designed and manufactured in Germany. I tried the Alta alto saxophone reed that BK Son gave me and it played quite well. The cane had no blemishes or inconsistencies that I could see. One of the main selling points for the Alta Reeds that Silverstein is offering is a quality guarantee. What this means is if you purchase a quantity of 5, 10, 15, etc. and find various reeds that do not play well, you have the ability to send them back to Silverstein and they will send you replacement reeds, free of charge. In addition, Silverstein offers a subscription option so you can have reeds automatically delivered to you every month at a discounted rate over the single purchase option. I am looking forward to picking up a box of 5 or 10 Alta reeds in alto and tenor (once released) to further test play and see how the quality guarantee program works.

Website

Silverstein Alta Reeds (Saxophone)

OmniPatch

I have seen more and more manufacturers starting to offer their own line of mouthpiece patches at various thicknesses, colors, as well as materials. The OmniPatch looks like a traditional mouthpiece patch but what differentiates it from the competition besides the silicon material and adhesive, is the tooth-plant imprinted into each mouthpiece patch. Similar to the Vandoren, D’Addario, and Forestone mouthpiece patches I have tried, the OmniPatch felt comfortable while playing and was easy to remove without losing the adhesive. The tooth-plant impriment did take me some time to adjust to because how I play, my front teeth fall slightly over the implemented tooth plant. Personally, I really like the patches but would actually do without the teeth guide because everyone’s teeth are different. If the OmniPatch molded to your front teeth so every time you play you found a comfortable position, that would be a different story.

Website

OmniPatch Overview

Video

OmniPatch

Rovner Platinum Gold Ligature

Rovner has become one of the most widely used ligatures across multiple woodwind instruments. In the past, I have reviewed the Rovner Versa X, Rovner Van Gogh, and Rovner Platinum (BSWE Rovner Product Review). When I visited the booth this year, the new 24-karat Gold Plated Platinum ligature had recently come out. I test played the original Platinum ligature against the Gold Plated version to see if I could hear a difference. Overall, both ligatures responded very similarly except I did find the Gold Plated Platinum Rovner ligature to have a slightly dark tone. My recommendation would be if you currently play on the original platinum ligature, to check out the gold plated version and see if you can hear a difference in the overall tone and response.

Website

http://www.rovnerproducts.com/platinumgold-ligature

Ochres V-6 alto saxophone

Since first play testing the Ochres line of saxophones at the 2016 NAMM Show and further reviewing the Ochres No. 5 Professional X Series Vintage tenor saxophone (BSWE Ochres Saxophone Review), I visited the booth this year to see what was new. Christine Liu, CEO of Ochres, was nice enough to show me their new Ochres V-6 Alto saxophone as well as their Balloon Sonar Screw accessory that is placed in the lyre holder. Christine told me that The Ochres V-6 is different from other models on the market because they used special alloys developed in-house to enhance the richness of the overall sound. Similar to their other models, the Ochres V-6 is equipped with Pisoni pads which are installed using shellac instead of glue. There were two Ochres V-6 alto’s at the show. Compared to the other models Ochres offers, I did find the Ochres V-6 alto responded extremely well from top to bottom. The overall sound I found to be edgy, focused, and warm. This horn could be used for classical as well as jazz. The ergonomics and intonation were great and for me personally, I might have the spring tension lightened a bit and possibly add some cork or felt in certain areas for less play. The Ochres V-6 reminded me of the Selmer Reference 54 alto saxophone in terms of the key setup and sonically geared towards players looking for that classic Mark VI sound. I want to thank Christine for letting me test play the Ochres V-6 alto saxophone and am looking forward to test playing the Ochres V-6 tenor once it is released.

Ochres Balloon Sonar Screw

The Ochres Balloon Sonar Screw was developed to stabilize unstable frequencies between the neck connecting to the body tube. I tried the Balloon Sonar Screw on the Ochres V-6 alto to see how it responded with and without it. I noticed slightly more resonance with the Balloon Sonar Screw than without it. I believe this could be attributed to adding more mass similar to various heavy neck screws I have seen on the market today. I did notice a more significant impact to the sound and play-ability while using the Klangbogen device but I believe the Ochres Balloon Sonar Screw can make a slight impact to the overall response and evenness across the entire range of the horn. I would recommend testing this device on your preferred setup and determine if it makes a difference or not for you. Again, I would like to thank Christine for allowing me to test play both the Ochres V-6 alto saxophone and the Balloon Sonar Screw. I am looking forward to seeing what else Ochres has to offer in the near future.

Website

http://www.ochresmusic.com/index.php

So that’s it for this installment of Zach’s adventures at NAMM 2018. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming shortly!

The post NAMM 2018 Saxophone Gear Roundup appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

This article is part 2 in a 2-part series covering the latest and greatest saxophone products shown at NAMM 2018. In case you missed it, click here for part 1.

AM Mouthpieces

I have been hearing more buzz around the AM mouthpieces made by Arnold Montgomery. While at the show, Arnold had me try the “Aras”, “Katana”, “Luna” and the new “Blue Heron” models in hard rubber as well as metal.

• The Aras is the brightest of the current models with a high baffle that leads into a medium sized bullet chamber
• The Katana is the 2^nd brightest but not as bright as the Aras. Contains a medium high step baffle with a medium large chamber.
• The Luna has a smooth rollover baffle that leads into a large chamber. This model was made to go after those players who enjoy the sound characteristics to those popular mouthpieces made in the 1940’s & 1950’s.
• Blue Heron: This is one of Arnold’s newest models. Arnold informed me this model is for those players who really like vintage hard rubber Otto Link mouthpieces but with a slightly different baffle.

After test playing each model, I preferred the Katana model the most for its overall sound and play-ability. I thought the Blue Heron or Luna would had been a closer fit for me since I play on an old hard rubber slant link but that was not the case. With that being said, Arnold also let me try his personal mouthpiece which was a modified Katana 7* and I liked this mouthpiece the most out of all his models. I am hoping he makes a hybrid between the Katana and his Blue Heron model because I think that mouthpiece would suit me the best. I would like to thank Arnold for taking the time to show me his various mouthpieces and I hope to check out more of his work later this year.

Website

http://www.ammouthpieces.com/

Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual”

It was great to see Alex Miyatake at NAMM this year. If you are not familiar with Alex, he is the owner of Marmaduke Music and produces his own line of mouthpieces, ligatures, reeds, and neck-straps. I met Alex at my first NAMM show and have visited him ever since to see what new products he has to offer. Since I liked his mouthpieces, (facings similar to vintage hard rubber Otto Link’s & Meyer’s) I was interested in trying out his new neck-strap called the Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual”. I already own his Marmaduke “Feather” Strap III EX for tenor saxophone and wanted to see how it compared. The new Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual” offers the saxophonists a neck-strap that also doubles as a harness. This strap I found to be more comfortable than the “Feather” Strap III EX due to its gel inserts (reminded me of the Just Joe’s neck-strap). The side straps can be attached to your belt and around your waist so the neck-strap turns into a harness. I did notice with the harness attachment that the horn felt lighter and moving around with this strap was not restricting. I currently use the Jazzlab Saxholder neck-strap and found the Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual” to offer similar comfort and re-distribution of pressure from my neck to my shoulders. If you are in the market for a strap/harness combo, I would recommend you add the Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual” to your list of neck-straps to test play.

Website

Marmaduke Music

The Growling Sax

While walking around the NAMM show, I ran into a few players who told me to check out The Growling Sax company. I have seen quite a few Facebook videos with players test playing the various line of Growling Sax saxophones and I wanted to check them out for myself. Melvin Quinones, owner and CEO of The Growling Sax, had me test play two tenor models at the show. One of them was The Growling Sax (TGS) Uprise Series Professional saxophone and the other was the TGS H1110 Professional tenor saxophone.

TGS Uprise Series Professional Tenor Saxophone

The Uprise tenor saxophone I test played at the booth had a matte black finish with matte silver keys. Some features specific to this model are as follows: brass neck, body, and bell, rolled tone holes, adjustable high D, Eb, and F palm keys, Italian Pisoni pads, blue steel springs, metal thumb hook, metal resonators, and a hand engraved bell, bow, body tube, and neck. The Uprise tenor saxophone’s overall construction and aesthetics reminded me of the MacSax Mac 8 model as well as the adjustable high D, Eb, and F palm keys feature is something I have seen done on Keilwerth as well as the Eastman 52^nd street saxophones. Sonically, I found the TGS Uprise model to produce a broad & big sound that reminded me more of a Conn. I found that depending on your mouthpiece setup, this horn could lean towards the brighter or darker side. The overall ergonomics felt quite good but I would have the spring tension lightened for faster action personally. Overall, I found the Uprise model to play well in tune and if you are currently on the market for a tenor saxophone and are open to any brand, you might want to check out TGS Uprise tenor saxophone.

TGS H1110 Professional

The other model Melvin Quinones showed me was the TGS H1110 Professional model tenor saxophone. Compared to the Uprise model, The TGS H1110 professional tenor saxophone boasts a few different features such as: 85% copper neck & straight tone holes. The TGS H1110 Professional tenor saxophone I played at the show had a cognac bell, bow, neck, and a black nickel body tube. The engraving on this model was the typical floral engraving I have seen on many saxophones but with the growling sax logo either stamped or laser-engraved on the side. In comparison to the TGS Uprise tenor saxophone, I found the TGS H1110 to have a much more focused sound. The setup and ergonomics did feel very similar to the Uprise model. Sonically, I found this model had a slightly warmer and mellow sound with less resistance compared to the TGS Uprise model which could be attributed to the material and neck taper. Overall, I told Melvin if he could combine sonic characteristics found in the TGS H1110 with the additional features on the TGS Uprise model, that would be the horn I believe many players would be interested in checking out. I would like to thank Melvin for his time and again, if you are in the market to replace your main saxophone or looking for a back-up, you should check out The Growling Sax saxophone line and see what you think.

Website

https://thegrowlingsax.com/

Forestone White Bamboo Reed

Since Forestone first came to the NAMM show a few years back, I have play tested their Forestone Traditional, Black Bamboo, Hinoki model reeds as well as their saxophones and mouthpiece patches (Hinoki Reed & Mouthpiece Patches Review). Each year, I have played Forestone’s various synthetic models and have become more open to potentially switching from cane over to synthetic (but not yet). This year, Lars Heusler (CEO of Forestone) introduced me to the white bamboo model which is a French filed cut unlike the un-filed cut on the Hinoki. I played tested a 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5. I found I needed to move down to a 2 or 2.5 to find the right reed strength for me. The white bamboo model was quite free blowing and the overall sound between the low end and high end was consistent. I have found many synthetic reeds to tend to play from top to bottom freely but the timbre is quite different especially in the low and high end of the sound spectrum. This is not the case with the Forestone white bamboo model. Personally, I think this is the best model that Forestone currently offers from a sound and consistency standpoint. I am looking forward to picking up a few Forestone White Bamboo reeds in the near future but personally will continue to play traditional cane reeds because I still feel there are certain sound characteristics that synthetic reeds have not been able to achieve for me.

Website

https://www.forestonejapan.com/reed

Vandoren V16 Large Chamber Tenor Mouthpiece

After Vandoren released the V16 S+ chamber for alto saxophone (BSWE V16 S+ Alto Mouthpiece Review) and is was quite a hit (my personal favorite V16 alto offering), Vandoren began developing a large chamber V16 tenor saxophone mouthpiece. This year, Vandoren finally released the V16 large chamber hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I have played Vandoren products in the past and my first hard rubber tenor mouthpiece was a V16 Medium Chamber T7 tip opening. I was excited to see how the V16 large chamber played in comparison. When I played the V16 Large Chamber T6 I noticed an overall darker sound that took more air and had a greater level of resistance than I was used too. Personally, I prefer the V16 medium chamber in comparison to the large chamber mouthpiece because I find my sound to be more focused, contain more edge, project further, and have less resistance. With that being said, saxophonist Lucas Pino, (BSWE Lucas Pino Interview) was very pleased with the overall response and sound on the V16 large chamber tenor mouthpiece and actually has been asking Vandoren to make a V16 large chamber model to suit his playing. I am interested to see which Vandoren artists and players switch over to the new large chamber model and hope to in the near future spend some more time with this mouthpiece and try various reed and ligature combinations to see what works best for me.

Video

NAMM 2018 – Vandoren V16 Large Chamber Tenor Mouthpiece

Marca Reeds

Although Marca Reeds have been around since 1957, I actually have not had the chance to test play them. This year, after visiting the Vandoren booth to test play the new V16 Large Chamber hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece, I stopped by the Marca booth and met with Nicolas Righi (CEO) & team to test play the various reed models they brought to the show. I test played the American Vintage as well as the new Marca Jazz Reeds with a filed and un-filed cut

Marca American Vintage Reeds

The Marca American Vintage Reeds reminded me of a cross between a Vandoren V16 and a Vandoren ZZ reed. I tried a 2 to 2.5 American Vintage tenor reeds which played quite well but I always use a Reed Geek to make sure the back of the reed is smooth and even so it has a complete seal with my mouthpiece.

Marca Jazz Un-filed/Filed Reeds

The Marca Jazz Un-Filed/Filed played very similar to the D’Addario Select Jazz Reeds. I found the Marca Jazz reeds are slightly more freer blowing with a bit more edge than the Marca American Vintage model but both models played well overall. I am glad I finally spent some time at the Marca booth to check out the new Marca Jazz series reeds which suit the type of sound I am looking for. I highly recommend if you are unhappy with the current reeds you are using, to test play the Marca brand and see if they work for you or not.

Website

https://www.marcareeds.com

Honorable Mentions

1.) ReedGeek Klangbogen – Matte finish (https://www.reedgeek.com/product/klangbogen-bore-reed-stabilizer-3-pin-set-one-piece/)

2.) Kim Korea Saxophones (http://www.kimssaxophone.com/)

3.) Jody Jazz Jet Tenor Mouthpiece (http://jodyjazz.com/super-jet-tenor/)

Final NAMM Thoughts

The 2018 NAMM Show was filled with new products, artists, and most importantly, exhibitors showcasing their latest and greatest saxophones, ligatures, mouthpieces, necks, reeds, neck straps, sax stands and the list goes on and on. What I have seen over the past 5+ years, besides the introduction of new products, is further improvements in the manufacturing and assembly of saxophones and accessories resulting in equipment that lasts longer. Unfortunately (like every year), I was not able to visit every booth at the show that I wanted to and spend the amount of time I would have liked to test play various products. As always, to any of the manufacturers I met at NAMM, if I did not include you in this list, this is not a reflection on your product, it just simply came down to time. If you would like me to review your product specifically or have any questions, please feel free to contact me using the information from my author bio below. Again, another great NAMM Show in the books and I can’t wait to see what NAMM 2019 has in store for us saxophonists next year!

The post NAMM 2018 Saxophone Gear Roundup- Part 2 appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Introduction

Légère Reeds LTD, has become one of the most popular synthetic reeds on the market today. More and more saxophonists have made the switch to Légère due to the many common problems and inconsistencies they have faced while dealing with traditional cane reeds. I have tried various Forestone, Bravo, FiberReed and a few other synthetic reed brands in the past but actually have not had a chance to test play the Légère Signature Series reeds until today. I will be providing a product overview on the Légère Signature Series reeds for alto and tenor saxophone as well as my overall thoughts. Légère, was nice enough to send me a few different reed strengths for both alto and tenor saxophone so I could find the best one that works for my setup.

Product Overview

Many players who play Légère, tend to prefer the Signature Series reeds, which produce a warm and rich tone across all registers. The Signature Series reeds are made from a stiffer material and are cut thinner than the Classic reeds. “These attributes make the Signature Series reeds more flexible across the tip which results in a full spectrum of overtones and a beautiful sound with minimal effort.” Regardless of which cut you choose, you will always receive the same Légère quality and the durability that Légère has come to be known for. All Légère reeds are offered in ¼ strengths and are available for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone (please see the saxophone reed chart below for comparison).

Légère Reeds LTD: Reed Strength Chart

Légère  Signature Series Overall Thoughts

Tenor & Alto: I typically play between a 2.5 to 3.0 strength cane reed across various brands (Vandoren, D’Addario. Lupifaro, WoodStone, Rigotti, Roberto’s, etc.). I found when test playing the 2, 2.25, 2.5, 2.75, and 3 strength Légère Signature Series reeds, that the 2 strength played the best from top to bottom on both my current setup’s (Vintage Slant Link (7) on tenor and Phil Tone Custom Meyer (6) on alto). I thought the 2.25 Légère would have been the right strength for me but it was a bit too resistant and not as easy to play throughout the entire range in comparison to the 2.0 while test playing. In terms of responsiveness, I found the 2.0 Légère Signature Series reeds were very free-blowing from top to bottom and incredibly easy to play in the altissimo register even more so then I have found on traditional cane reeds. Sonically, I found the Légère Signature Series played a tad brighter in the low, mid and high register compared to my traditional cane reeds. I found the sound was more spread rather than focused and although the Légère Signature Series reeds sounded very close to traditional cane, there were various timbres and overtones throughout that were not as present compared to traditional cane. The Légère Signature Series reeds did not feel like cane when first test playing but after playing for a few minutes, the Légère reed felt comfortable on both alto and tenor.

Final Conclusion

I would like to thank Chis Kortschot, Marketing Manager at Légère Reeds, for sending me the multiple Signature Series reeds to test play for alto and tenor saxophone. I highly recommend trying synthetic reeds in general even if traditional cane is your preference because it’s valuable to understand how these reeds play in comparison. When testing the Légère Signature Series reeds, I strongly recommend that you play one for a whole practice session and over a few days so you can make an informed decision whether the Légère Signature Series synthetic reeds work for you or if traditional cane is still your preference. Personally, I am not a traditional cane purists, but for my setup, I still prefer traditional cane over the Légère Signature Series reeds and other synthetic reeds being offered on the market today. With that being said, I would still recommend trying out various synthetic reeds as well as keeping one in your case like the Légère Signature Series synthetic reed in case of an emergency. I will continue to try synthetic reeds due to the inconsistencies I find dealing with traditional cane reeds and believe one day I will find the synthetic reed that works best with my setup. What is your experience with Légère and other synthetic reeds?

Amazon Link

Alto: https://amzn.to/2sq6X1h

Tenor: https://amzn.to/2tCTG4L

Website

https://www.Légère.com/

Artist Video

The post Légère Signature Series Reeds: Are You Ready to Go Synthetic? appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Introduction

With the demand increasing for vintage mouthpieces, ligatures, saxophones, neck’s, and other accessories, many manufacturers have decided to make a copy or produce their own version of these highly sought after pieces of equipment. Most recently, I had the chance to try two ligatures: One, is offered by Echobrass and is a re-creation of the highly sought after Brilhart 3 screw ligature. This ligature was used (and still is) by such heavyweights as alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett and tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson. The second ligature, is produced by Dos Allen, owner of Blue Ridge Horns, and is a metal ring ligature called the Aidü. I will be reviewing each ligature based on their build quality, ease of use, response, and my overall thoughts. Both ligatures I am reviewing were for tenor saxophone but the Echobrass ligature is available for soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone and the Aidü ligature is available for soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone.

Echobrass Ligature

Product Description

When I spoke with Brian at GetASax (https://www.getasax.com/), here is what he had to say about the EchoBrass ligature:

“There’s a reason why the vintage Brilhart 3-Band ligatures have been singled out by the market as one of most desirable vintage ligatures. They are simply great ligatures. The issue has been there will never be enough vintage Brilhart ligatures to meet the high demand for this style of ligature. Thankfully, the Echobrass Company has stepped in to meet this demand. This ligature is a true reproduction: from the alloy of brass to the type of plastic on the reed plate, it is exactly the same as the vintage Brilhart 3-Band ligature. Same dimensions, same weight, same feel, same playing response. For those of you who have always wanted this time-tested style of ligature, but have found them prohibitively expensive ($400+), now perhaps getting one is within reach. This is admittedly still an expensive ligature by modern standards ($165) but honestly, to achieve this level of quality of workmanship in Korea where these are made, it does take time and materials to make them. A question many players ask me is, how does it play? It just plays well. It is a high quality ligature with heavy duty brass and nice big screws that are easy to tighten firmly and evenly. This ligature frees the reed to vibrate with a rich and balanced tone. Compared to a standard ligature, the Echobrass seems richer, more full, and warmer.“

Build Quality

I received the Echobrass ligature for tenor saxophone with the black screw joints and white plastic plate. I found the Echobrass ligature to be well constructed in terms of the solid brass, screws, and plastic plate. Do to these quality materials, this ligature would be hard to bend or damage and will last you a very long time.

Ease of Use

Although you would assume most ligatures are easy to use and adjust, some ligatures I have used in the past tend to slide while you are adjusting your mouthpiece on the neck and some depending on the placement of the ligature do not properly contact the reed. The Echobrass ligature fit my vintage hard  rubber link well and was easy to tighten and loosen depending where I wanted the ligature to sit on my mouthpiece. I would though recommend contacting Brian with your current mouthpiece setup to confirm whether the S or SL size would fit your mouthpiece best.

Response

I found the Echobrass ligature did not restrict the reed whatsoever and allowed it to freely vibrate. Compared to other ligatures I have tried in the past, I found the Echobrass maintained a free blowing quality across the entire range of the saxophone that was very balanced and not resistance in the extreme low’s or high’s. Sonically, it’s difficult for me to say if Echobrass ligature has brighter or darker characteristics to the sound but for me compared to the Silverstein and Ishimori Sterling Silver ligature I have been playing, I found the Echobrass ligature made my sound a tad darker which I noticed more in the high’s (D,Eb,E,F, F#) and low’s (C#,C, B, Bb).

Overall Thoughts

I highly recommend the Echobrass ligature if you have been searching for a vintage Brilhart 3-band ligature and are not looking to spend $400+ dollars on a ligature. In addition, if you are not happy with your current ligature setup and have the budget, this ligature does respond well and will hold up for many years.

Echobrass Ligature YouTube Demonstration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fquDQPLz3n0

Echobrass Purchasing & Product Information

https://www.getasax.com/product-category/echobrass-ligatures/

Aidü Ligature

Product Description

The Aidü Ligature is a solid brass ring ligature that is manufactured out of a solid brass bar that comes in 3 finishes (raw-brass, rhodium, and gold-plated). Dos Allen, owner of Blue Ridge Horns and inventor of the Aidü ligature, said he came up with the name “Aidü” jokingly because this ligature reminds him of a wedding band and sounds like “I do”.

Build Quality

I found the Aidü ligature was made out of solid brass material that has some weight to it and was not easy to bend. The Aidü ligature was smooth and was evenly circular inside without any scratches, dent’s, or any other imperfections.

Ease of Use

The Aidü ligature fit well on my slant link and was actually easy to adjust which is typically not the case with ring ligatures.What I will say, is the sizing is very important and the Aidü ligature will fit a bit differently on each mouthpiece do to its dimensions. My recommendation if you are interested is to consult with Dos and provide him your mouthpiece measurements so he can make sure to provide you a Aidü ligature that will fit your setup.

Response

When it comes to various ligature finishes, it can be difficult at times to determine if the finish has an effect on the overall sound and response. The three Aidü ligatures that Dos provided me had the following finishes:

• Aidü ligature “Raw-Brass”- I found the raw-brass finish was the most free-blowing compared to the rhodium and gold plated finishes. The sound was balanced across the entire saxophone and sonically I thought the sound was neutral with more spread than focus.
• Aidü ligature “Rhodium”- I found the response to have a bit more back-pressure with this plating which some players might prefer. The sound was similar to the bare-brass version except a tad darker.
• Aidü ligature “Gold-Plated”- I found this plating had a similar response to the raw-brass but with more focus and brilliance that was noticeable in the upper stack.

Overall Thoughts

I really liked Dos Allen’s Aidü ligatures. With any ring ligature, the fit is very important and making adjustments can be a tad more work while pushing in or pulling out your mouthpiece on the neck compared to a standard two-screw or leather ligature like a Rovner. I personally liked the gold-plated version the most due to it’s sonic characteristics as well as responsiveness. I would like to thank Dos Allen for sending me his ligatures to test play and would recommend contacting him if you are interested in checking out the Aidü ligature.

Aidü Website

Blue Ridge Horns

Final Thoughts

The Echobrass and Aidü ligatures are two great options for those players either looking for an alternative to the highly sought after and expensive Brilhart 3-Band ligatures or have wanted to try out a ring ligature for some time and see how it compares to their current setup. At the end of the day, you should choose the equipment that works best for you and what you are trying to achieve. I am happy to add these two ligatures to my list as ligatures to recommend checking out. Please comment below with your experience(s) with either of these ligatures as well as any questions.

The post NEW PRODUCT REVIEW: The Echobrass & Aidü Ligature appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

(Left: Tim Price, Middle: Roberto Romeo, Right: Joe Lovano)

Introduction

Since reviewing the Sax Dakota Straight tenor and alto saxophones (Sax Dakota Straights) about a year ago, I recently read a press release that Joe Lovano, after 10 years of playing his L.A. Sax straight tenor and alto met up with Peter LaPlaca (Owner of Sax Dakota), Tim Price and Roberto at Roberto’s Woodwinds in N.Y.C to test play the new and updated Sax Dakota straight tenor and alto saxophones.

After just a few hours going back and forth play testing between the L.A. Sax and the Sax Dakota straight tenor and alto saxophones, Joe decided to trade in his original L.A. Sax straight saxophones and pick up the Sax Dakota straight tenor and alto saxophone. I am fortunate enough today that Joe Lovano and Tim Price (saxophonist & educator) have agreed to an interview to discuss their thoughts on the Sax Dakota straight tenor and alto saxophone as well as share some advice around areas to focus on if you want to become a better musician musically as well as professionally.

LOVANO SAX DAKOTA PRESS RELEASE

Q: What do you find is different about being a musician today than it was years ago?

Tim Price: When I was growing up, I was interested in many different instruments that were played around the world but relied on records and live shows. Today, you can go to YouTube and listen to musicians who play the Nadaswaram for instance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy8zxmhLrAo) and find these players and a sound that I never would have had access to until years later. Listening was imperative as Joe and I were growing up as players and still is today. Those local artists that we grew up with in our local town were the bridges towards major artists such as John Coltrane and Jimmy Heath and this was imperative to helping me grow as a musician.

Joe Lovano: I completely agree with what Tim said with local artists being the bridge to major artists. For example, master Don Byas, Johnny Griffin was a bridge to Don Byas and Griffin is a master himself. A lot of local cats  were bridges to the major players. My dad was a great player in the Cleveland area but never had a big career or went to New York City but he played at a jam session with John Coltrane. My dad was a bridge for not just me but for other players in the Cleveland area. Today there is a larger library with more sounds and spirits. There is more to listen to than previous years of players on every instrument. When listening becomes part of your approach, you start to deal with how you are playing and playing with other musicians. It is all about ideas and your journey in music, is going to be different depending on who you listen to, who you play with, and who you encounter. When people start listening to you, you go back into the woodshed to define your concept of music. An instrument I have been checking out is the Tárogató which is a Hungarian folk instrument in the soprano range (Bb) but put together like a clarinet with open holes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwPmgd0Hvs).

Q: What exercises have you been working on recently and why?

JL: I have been working on spontaneous harmonic structures and how keys relate to each other. Putting ideas together in all keys and how these keys relate to each other and how you can create harmony with melody and apply a rhythmic approach. Coming from the roots of music (Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, Charlie Parker) I apply these principals or fundamental to every music I approach. These ideas are always swirling when I am playing with different groups. Put pieces of music together that have a spiritual quality to them. I am working to express my personal feelings, and have only scratched the surface.

TP: People transcribe a solo and I have done a lot of transcriptions myself as well as work on transcribing with my students. The biggest thing after transcribing that many players miss is to pay attention to the phrasing and all the different dynamics. When I practice, I pay attention to the dynamics. I listen to a person’s shape and understand how they shape a phrase especially from such players as Coleman Hawkins to Dexter Gordon to Joe Henderson etc.

Q: How did Joe and you meet?

TP: I have known Joe since the 70’s when we were both studying at Berklee. I don’t remember why we were waiting in line but that day, Joe came up to me and said, “did you hear that Schizophrenia record by Wayne Shorter and there is no trumpet there.” From that point on, we talked for months and did not know each other’s names.

JL: I met Tim my first semester and many of the musicians I met at Berklee, we still play together and all moved to New York City in the mid 70’s.

Q: As you look at some young saxophonist today who are staying active in the music scene, what qualities do they embody which you think has made them successful?

JL: Today, it’s harder for young cats on the scene to be heard and develop a reputation. There are no big record producers like Blue Note for jazz musicians as there used to be. I was fortunate enough to make my own records but had the record company behind me and promoting me as an artist. I feel a lot of young players have an opportunity to get themselves out there but many are spending a lot of time on the computer rather than heading back to the woodshed and getting things together. A lot of amazing players that play great but sound terrible at the same time. I really want young players to take their time and realize that things don’t happen overnight. Players need to focus on who they are listening to, where that player came from, and how old they were on that recording. I address these issues a lot during my master classes. Coming up through the ranks and playing with a lot of different musicians is important and Mark Turner and Chris Potter are great examples of this because they played with a lot of different folks.

TP: There are some of these players that sound great on YouTube but in a club, it’s a different story. The only way you can grow is playing with various musicians and creating music for yourself. You can stick to just online playing and video’s but you will miss out on the organic growth factor. Music is changing and playing with people and creating situations together is how you will develop or create a congregation of folks that want to listen to what you are doing musically.

Q: What concepts did you practice to help you become the musician you are today?

JL: The more you play, the more you will say. You need to listen to yourself and listen to your inner idea’s to realize the range of your sound. You need to embrace and try to express your whole feeling and how you can play your horn. Focus on how you play a note instead of just focusing on what you play. Playing in Duet sessions is very important. When you start playing together you begin to create a dialogue. When you play a tune like “All The Things You Are,” remember to not just play the tune but also play the title.

TP: How you approach a note. Do not treat it like an exercise. Practice with people where you can feel where it is naturally and where you are struggling. I practiced with a lot of drummers and you will find the area’s you need to work on. Listen to an artist you like and how they play with different musicians.

Q: Many of us know, practicing is going to provide the greatest results in improvement in sound, technique, rhythm, etc. Do you believe there is a piece of equipment today that many musicians overlook?

JL: Vintage horns hold up better. I try to help Borgani make a horn with the right springs, rods, and certain metals. I appreciate the different chambers and tip openings on mouthpieces today, the various rings on some neck-straps is important because it vibrates differently. I find the angle of the saxophone neck more and more will affect how you play into the horn which is something I have experimented more by playing on Kim Bock’s necks which are great.

TP: Today there is a different palate for all times of equipment. The idea in terms of how the mouthpieces are being made today by quality mouthpiece makers is great. Mouthpieces seem to project better today than back when Joe and I were growing up.

Q: Why did you decide to make the switch from your current L.A. Straight Alto and Tenor Saxophone and what do you like most about the straight model saxophones?

JL: Rahsaan Roland Kirk had a bunch of straight saxophones and I listened to him as a teen. In the mid 1990’s, I hooked up with Pete at L.A. Sax who was making these straight saxophones. I played the straight tenor on my record Celebrating Sinatra (Celebrating Sinatra), a duet recording with Flying colors (straight tenor), and played straight alto on my album called “Trio Fascination”. The sound had a whole different flowing quality and speed of air affected what you got out of the horn. The power of your breath and the speed of the air in which you play and phrase. I focused on how to play through different saxophones and to develop a sound is about your free flowing approach.

In Cleveland, I recently stopped at the repair shop, Academy Music, and Tom Ianni who is the main guy, was talking about straight saxophones. Tom hooked me up with Sal Cardello who works with Pete, and I just called Pete and got reacquainted.

Pete mentioned his new straight Sax Dakota alto and tenor saxophones and wanted me to check them out. I had rehearsal at Michiko Studios at Roberto’s Winds in N.Y.C to rehearse for Saxophone Summit. I co-lead this group with Dave Liebman. It worked out that Pete sent the horns to Roberto’s and we met up. The horns have a different tightness to play. Francois Louis mouthpiece silver model on the straight tenor (same model as the one that Bob Berg played on). When playing the straight tenor and alto saxophone, the room the way you mic these instruments gives it a real different quality and you can hear difference.

TP: I found the Sax Dakota straight tenor and alto compared to other straight tenor and alto saxophones to be a much more modern vehicle for the straight tenor and alto situation. Some changes to the tubing made it have a much more resonant sound. The Rods are anchored better than the older model specifically when it comes to the tenor. The sound on both is very sweet and powerful and I find on the alto the upper register has a real sweetness to it. The tonal center on both horns are easier to achieve and become accustom to with the tonal center being right there when you play it.

Equipment

JL:

Saxophone(s): Mid 1990’s Borgani, two Selmer balanced actions 35,xxx (main horns). Borgani’s since 99, Conn Chu-Berry’s and Buescher tenor’s to name a few.

Mouthpiece(s): Originally a 10 Link* 1975-1985 and then switched to Francois Louis mouthpieces. Wooden and Silver model (Bob Berg and Ronnie Cuber played this one).

Ligature: Francois Louis or Flexitone Ligatures

Necks: KB Saxophone Necks (hand-hammered copper necks)

Reed: Alexander Superial and N.Y. cut. Reed strength from 3 to 4+.

TP:

Saxophone(s): Selmer Saxophones & Sax Dakota Straight Tenor and Alto saxophone

Mouthpiece(s): Fred Lamberson saxophone mouthpieces. On straight tenor specifically a Fred Lamberson custom 8dd mouthpiece.

Ligature(s): SaxWorks Ligatures

Reed(s): D’Addario Woodwind Reeds

The post Joe Lovano and Tim Price Share Musical Wisdom and Talk Straight Tenors appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Introduction

With the influx of more saxophone brands entering the market, it has gotten more difficult for the consumer to figure out which brand and model is worth checking out. Due to the rising prices for saxophones across some of the most popular brands today: Yamaha, Selmer, Keilwerth, and Yanagisawa, other brands have entered the market with a more cost effective saxophone that supposedly embodies the same or similar features too many highly sought after vintage saxophones. With the improved quality of materials and assembly of saxophones manufactured out of Taiwan, China, Vietnam, etc., various shops have decided to release their own line of saxophones. I have found many of these in-house saxophones to be a cost-effective alternative to various sought after vintage saxophones (BA, SBA, MARK VI, Conn 10M, King Super 20, etc.). A few months back, while visiting N.Y.C, I decided to stop by JL Woodwind Repair (owned by John Leadbetter) to get my horn setup. While at his shop, John wanted me to try his line of tenor saxophones called JL Woodwinds. Today, I will be reviewing the JL Woodwinds tenor saxophone based on: Appearance, Build Quality, Tone & Response, Action, Intonation, and my Final Thoughts.

Appearance

When I was at John’s shop, he had four different finishes in stock. The finishes were: bronze with gold lacquered keys, a nickel silver with matte gold keys, a vintage finish (un- lacquered brass) and finally the rose brass which had a lighter finish compared to the bronze model with gold lacquered keys. At first glance, the JL Woodwinds tenor saxophones reminded me of a vintage SBA or Mark VI based on key layout, parts, and an option for no high f# key. In addition, the engraving (which can be custom ordered) has the detailed floral engraving reminiscent of the vintage Selmer’s.

Build Quality

I found the build quality on the JL Woodwinds tenor saxophones to be very good. The materials/parts were sturdy with no blemishes or mis-cuts through-out which is something I have seen on some of the better Taiwanese horns currently on the market. John’s setup on each JL Woodwinds saxophone is truly what differentiates his saxophone line from just another horn coming from Taiwan, China Vietnam, etc. Many of the parts are common among many new Taiwanese saxophones I have seen such as: blue steel springs, Italian leather pads, white mother of pearl key touches, and metal resonators to name a few. Some key features on John’s JL Woodwinds tenor saxophone is key-fitting as well as tone-hole leveling across the entire saxophone. These additional steps do make a positive impact on the overall play-ability of the saxophone.

Tone & Response

I found the JL Woodwinds tenor saxophones each had a slightly different tone characteristics based on the finish. I found the nickel silver finish had a nice focus, edge, and warmth to the sound and overall found the sound to lean towards the neutral to medium bright when played in the upper register. The vintage finish, I found to have an edgier as well as slightly darker sound than the nickel silver. Both saxophones responded quickly with limited resistance. I found the overall tone & response shared similarities with various Mark VI’s saxophones I have played in the past. For those players who like more or less resistance, I know John has a couple different necks with various tapers which would be worth checking out.

Action

Of the four displayed in the picture above, I really enjoyed the nickel silver model which had light key action that was even through-out the entire range. Since the JL Woodwinds tenor saxophone can be customized, once you find the horn with the right sonic characteristics, John is happy to make further adjustments on the entire saxophone to fit your style of playing.

Intonation

I found the intonation was very good. I had no trouble playing from low Bb to high F# at various dynamic levels. The altissimo range also played nicely in tune with little adjustment.

Final Thoughts

The JL Woodwinds tenor saxophone(s) is an overall great saxophone. The main reason the JL Woodwinds saxophones are unique from many other brands on the market today is simply the setup. When I spoke with John, he designed these saxophones to be a cost-effective alternative option to what’s currently on the market as well as a representation of his repair work/setup abilities. I really enjoyed the JL Woodwinds tenor saxophones and if you are currently in the market for a very customized saxophone built for you, John’s saxophones are a great option to consider.

Please let me know your thoughts regarding your experiences with the JL Woodwinds lines of saxophones.

 Website

https://www.jlwoodwindrepair.com/

The post JL Woodwinds Tenor Saxophone appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Introduction

The quest to find the right mouthpiece can seem like a never ending process. Once you find the mouthpiece that you believe suits you best, the next step (or at least for myself) is to find a secondary or back-up mouthpiece that plays identically in case something were to happen (drop, stolen, natural wear, etc). When I saw various manufacturers begin to experiment with 3D printing new models, I thought “I wonder if I could use a 3D printing machine to copy my main mouthpiece?” After doing some further research, I learned that these 3D printing machines can copy very exact  measurements but if  additional adjustments are needed, a skilled re-facer and play testing is required to really make that mouthpiece sing. In addition, even if the facing is identical to the original, the new mouthpiece will play slightly different based on the material and process for creating the final product.

As I continued to think to myself “there has to be a way to copy my main mouthpiece”, I ran into a company called SYOS. SYOS stands for “Shape Your Own Sound” and was founded my Pauline Eveno (I’ve included a link around how SYOS was started: SYOS Story). After meeting up with Pauline in San Francisco, she was nice enough to send me three mouthpieces to play test based on my survey responses that I completed on their website. Please note, although SYOS is not offering to make a 3D printed copy of your current mouthpiece, they do offer you the ability to play test many variations based on your survey responses until you find the SYOS mouthpiece that is right for you. I will be discussing the SYOS survey, the mouthpieces they sent me, and my final thoughts.

SYOS Survey

The process to purchase a SYOS mouthpiece begins with their survey. Their survey asks you such questions as follows:

1.) Which mouthpiece do you want to order (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone)?

2.) Which mouthpiece brand are you using?

3.) Which tip opening are you using?

4.) What is your saxophone skill level?

5.) What is your preferred brightness?

6.) Do you want a mouthpiece with a soft or powerful sound?

7.) What music styles do you play?

8.) Choose your colour?

9.) What tip opening do you want for your SYOS mouthpiece?

10.) Additional Info?

After this survey is complete, Pauline and her team will work together with you to come up with an initial mouthpiece that suits your requirements and send you one for testing. What I find is unique with the SYOS process is if you are not satisfied with the first mouthpiece, you have the ability to send it back to their team who will further tweak the overall dimensions based on your feedback and send you another mouthpiece. This process will repeat until you find the model that works for you. I found the overall survey questions were good but have some suggestions which I believe will lead to further clarity around the right dimensions for what you are looking to achieve in your next mouthpiece.

1.)  For question #7, I believe the Genre’s are nice to know but after selecting a Genre, I think it would be helpful to refine what players you like to listen to within those genres.

2.) For question #3, besides tip opening, I believe the exact mouthpiece model and chamber are also very important as well as elaborating if any work has been done.

3.) For question #10, if this is possible, I would allow the ability to attach images (pictures of your current mouthpiece). I believe this will assist the SYOS team very much to gain a better understanding what you are coming from and where you want to go with your next mouthpiece.

SYOS Process

https://www.syos.co/en/blog/syos-plastic-saxophone-mouthpieces

Sound

Pauline sent me 3 mouthpieces (Red, light blue, and a neon green color) with a M, L, and XL chamber. After playing testing all three SYOS mouthpieces in comparison to my Otto Link, I decided that the M chamber worked best for me. My experience after play testing all three SYOS mouthpieces is the current tip opening you are used to playing on does not necessarily translate to the SYOS mouthpiece. For instance, I play on a 7 tip opening Slant Link and the SYOS mouthpiece that played most similarly in terms of resistance and play-ability measured closer to a 8. I believe this has to do with the overall dimensions and if look at the baffle, rails, and chamber of the SYOS mouthpieces (See pictures), it is quite different from my Link. I thought the material responded well which I believe is a hard plastic. I found the sound was pretty consistent across the entire range but noticed the upper and lower extreme’s of the horn were a bit brighter compared to my Slant Link. The roadblocks or bumpers as I like to call them inside the chamber was quite interesting and when I play tested other SYOS mouthpieces without this feature, I found they did not respond as quickly or project as much as I pushed more air through them.

Final Thoughts

There have been many attempts to 3D print a saxophone mouthpiece with various levels of success (unfortunately with most being unsuccessful). I believe SYOS has moved the needle forward in terms of 3D printing mouthpieces that are a viable alternative to the traditional way to manufacture mouthpieces today. With that being said, I spoke with Pauline and per our discussion, she told me that she is not a saxophone player herself as well as members on the team so she is designing these mouthpieces from an acoustic standpoint and relying on various local musicians and simply users feedback for overall results of each mouthpiece. I still prefer my Slant Link over the 3 SYOS mouthpieces that Pauline sent me to test play. With that being said, I believe by further refining the survey questions as well as continued experimentation with various dimensions and players feedback, these SYOS mouthpieces can become a great alternative option for those players that have struggled to find the right mouthpiece for them. One additional benefit I see with the SYOS mouthpiec line is since they are 3D printed and the material is very consistent from mouthpiece to mouthpiece, if something were to ever happen to your SYOS mouthpiece, you could reach out to Pauline and her team with the model number and they could go back and print another exact copy of your current model (I wish this existed with current mouthpieces on the market today).

Overall, I would like to thank Pauline for sending me these SYOS mouthpieces to test play. I do wish to continue working with her to get closer to a SYOS mouthpiece I like just as much as my Slant Link or even more. If you have tried a SYOS mouthpiece, what are your thoughts? How do they compare to your current setup?

SYOS Mouthpieces

https://www.syos.co/en/

Players Testing SYOS Mouthpieces

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCVH5e4VT8g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srxOJEpK620

The post SYOS MOUTHPIECES: What Sound Are You Looking For? appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Official Bio

Tucker Antell is a New England native, but being raised in various states across the US, began his career in Sarasota FL. He started honing his musical craft by sitting in with retirees who took him under their wing and taught him the ropes of Jazz. Tucker explained:“Though I didn’t realize it at the time, the opportunity to play those classic standards every week with veteran musicians was one of the most formative and valuable experiences of my musical education.” As Tucker progressed with his musical education, he began studying with such jazz titans as Jerry Bergonzi and George Garzone. In 2009, Tucker graduated from the Jazz Studies program at the New England Conservatory of Music and to this day has shared the stage with such musicians as: Larry Goldings, Anthony Wilson, Hal Crook, Chris Cheek, Antonio Sanchez, John Lockwood, Bob Gulloti, Bruce Gertz, and Bob Moses just to name a few. In addition to being an active sideman with various groups in the Boston area, his latest project, The Tucker Antell Band, features Tucker’s hard-hitting blues-infused compositions which draw from his love of classic Blues music.While Tucker keeps a busy performance schedule, he also enjoys teaching saxophone and improvisation throughout various private institutions in the Boston area and regularly conducts music clinics/masterclasses at local colleges and public school systems. If you would like to get in contact with Tucker, please reach out to him on his website (Contact Tucker) or follow him on Instagram (@TuckerAntell).

Interview

ZS: Why did you choose the saxophone?

 TA: It’s actually kind of an uneventful story, but I laugh to think that my whole life has been shaped by it. I was 10 and just wanted to take up an instrument. I really enjoyed the recorder in my 3rd grade class so I figured out that other woodwinds are similar. I went into a music store with my mom and pointed at the sax hanging on the wall, and that was it—I was hooked for life.

ZS: As you moved and lived in various states, who do you recall helped you grow as a musician and why?

TA: First off, Josh Langston was my first ever teacher. He is a classical saxophonist and taught me the fundamentals: scales, embouchure, articulation, vibrato etc… That was a very good start and I am really glad that I had someone to show me proper technique from the get go as it helped me avoid many bad habits later (I haven’t seen him in probably over 15 years, I wonder what he’s up to!). Then came trombonist and educator Greg Nielson who first gave me chord scales, play-a-longs, recordings and invited me to sit in with his group. He had a home studio and I got my first recording experience — including with then 92 year-old Al Galladoro. Sarasota Florida was a great place to learn Jazz and I was lucky I had Greg as my middle school band teacher, as he helped me in so many ways! I even remember we would drive together to a big band rehearsal where I got to play with other local pros reading down charts (Man I was lucky!). There’s lots of great people that I’ve had the pleasure to know and learn from over the years — I guess the thing I am grateful for, is that they took the time to show me how it’s done, not go easy on me, but also give me a chance to try things out and just go for it. I remember my first couple jazz albums were a Michael Brecker and a Joshua Redman album — Two Blocks From The Edge & Beyond respectively. They were given to me by the worship pastors in the church band I volunteered in at 13 — even then it was people like that who would give me nuggets or point me in a direction (in this case literally gift me a couple CD’s) that made a huge impact on my life.

ZS: What material do you find yourself practicing the most these days?

TA: I confess: I’m a bit obsessed with patterns and shapes. Though I also feel I’ve made the most progress from day to day or week to week when I’ve spent time transcribing and playing along with solos (and this usually shows up in my playing more immediately and has a more lasting impact) I spend more of my actual practice time exploring every avenue I can find within a given concept. The best of both worlds is when I sort of “mine” material from a solo I’m learning. I sometimes view transcribing as just that: sifting through the musical material to find gold nuggets that I can take with me. When I find one I like, I take it and explore it in every key, but also move it around in various ways: half steps, whole steps, minor thirds, major thirds, around the circle of fourths etc… I like to work on things ascending, descending, back-wards, forwards, alternating and rearranging the directions…

For instance, I recently practiced a 4-note cell like D-C-G-F all descending (Reference PDF Below).

1.) I first decided how to categorize that in my head for purposes of quick-recall, but also so I can quickly move it around however I like without thinking too hard. It’s almost as if, for the file in my head containing those four notes, I like to title the file, or put a tab on it so I can quickly access it later. In this case, I thought of that one as F — so the relative numbers would be 6-5-2-1. Now I can practice it chromatically up and down by just thinking of key of F, key of E, key of Eb and each time I’m playing four notes for one thought.

2.) Next I will change the order and play 1-2-5-6 ascending chromatically and descending chromatically. Then I will alternate them (my personal favorite for many patterns and shapes) so for instance: While ascending chromatically I would play F-G-C-D (1-2-5-6) then D#-C#-G#-F# (6-5-2-1) then G-A-D-E (1-2-5-6) and then F-Eb-Bb-Ab (6-5-2-1). I will do this up and down before applying all of this to whole step movement, minor third, major third etc…So for instance an alternating direction ascending major thirds pattern using this shape starting on F would look like: F-G-C-D (1-2-5-6 in F), F#-E-B-A (6-5-2-1 in A), Db-Eb-Ab-Bb (1-2-5-6 in Db), D-C-G-F (6-5-2-1 in F). BUT, still there is more be to explored! In each of these the shape is either completely ascended or descended: 1-2-5-6 or 6-5-2-1. I like to take something like this and change the order of the notes to experiment with the shape, often in a case like this by taking the whole step groups and reversing their order i.e. 2-1-5-6, 1-2-6-5 or 2-1-6-5. Now there are three more derived shapes that can ALL be taken through each of the exercises above. The possibilities are many (my math says 96 sequences not including mixing and matching the different shapes or extending beyond fourth movement), and even in writing this I’m realizing it’s a lot more confusing to think about without playing it.

3.)Finally, thinking about each cell of 4 notes as one thought helps consolidate the mental energy and before long I can think big picture and play long stretches of notes while thinking MUCH less than it takes to write it all out. Something I find helpful while trying all these variations out is not only to think of the big picture movement of the cells — in other words: Ok, so with a minor third movement ascending, my keys to hit are going to be F, Ab, B, then D. You should also take note of the connection between the cells — What I refer to with my students as the “train car method”. Say you want to move the original shape up in major thirds ascending, F-G-C-D will connect to A-B-E-F# with a descending perfect 4th from the D of the F cell, to the A of the A cell. Thinking this way doesn’t require you to think of the big picture augmented triad in your head, but rather to play a cell, then jump down a fourth and start again. Sometimes this method is much easier because there’s a simple half-step slide to make the connection. Other times this makes it more complicated. I find that employing both simultaneously to varying degrees is my favorite method. Almost like working a math problem backwards to double check your work, knowing that there should be a fourth-interval connection will reinforce that you did make the correct jump from the F cell to the A cell.

I find when doing this to any cell of varying length and shape, that certain orderings, whether ascending vs descending or moving in either half steps whole, minor thirds etc… that certain ones really stand out as laying well on the horn or having a particularly intriguing sound or just strike me a certain way. These are the ones that I usually write down and try to use later on a tune or try and incorporate into my playing. Conversely, some movements and directions don’t sound great or are awkward OR the connections between them have unison notes which can either make it sound either super hip or super choppy. So, although I will try and run through every possibility for my own challenge, mental exercise, and thorough sound-searching, I definitely will discard a lot of it for practical purposes and select my favorites for playing. You may find that you have changed the original idea so much that you have certainly made it your own!

You can get a shape or idea from ANYTHING. I have taken pieces of melodies for instance, the opening line of McCoy Tyner’s Passion Dance works great, but also any simple 4 and 5 note tetra and pentatonic scales like the one above. Currently, I was just taking the chromatically slippery punchline to Take The A Train(See PDF) and moving that around all over the place for some hilariously-satisfying results! Though I may never use it, always challenging myself and thinking critically in the practice room yields the most satisfaction and enjoyment on the bandstand.

PDF Exercise

Shapes & Patterns

ZS: What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve been given over the course of your playing career?

TA: A wonderful lady and mentor who hosted a weekly jam session in Florida named Ruby Vinson, who sadly passed away almost 10 years ago now, once told me that when it (in this case music or a particular gig or band) stops being fun, walk away. Ruby was always very joyful in her music-making and I took her motto to mean never let anyone or anything steal your joy in making music — if it does then it’s not worth it.

ZS: What Current Project are you working on?

TA: My first album as a leader is currently being mixed and so all my efforts went into that project and I’m very excited about the release TBD. It features Jake Sherman on the B3 Organ, Lee Fish on drums, Carl Eisman on guitar and Jason Palmer on a few tracks also. All originals of mine I’m pretty happy with how it all went and I hope to book some CD release shows in the winter/spring. Very blues-infused; there’s a few straight shuffles on it and I just love the classic B3/Tenor/Guitar combo!

ZS: What’s your current Setup?

 TA:

Saxophones:

• Soprano: Selmer Series 1
• Alto: Conn New Wonder II 238xxx
• Tenor: Conn 10M Naked Lady 263xxx

Mouthpieces:

• Soprano: Soprano Planet “Open Sky” Link (Tip Opening?)
• Alto: Johannes Gerber NY Bros (Tip Opening?)
• Tenor: Johannes Gerber Octa Supreme 9* or a BD Hollywood Dukoff 6* refaced by Ted Klum

Reeds:

• Soprano: La Voz med
• Alto: La Voz med
• Tenor: La Voz med

Ligature:

• Soprano: Whatever will fit haha
• Alto: Whatever will fit haha
• Tenor: Whatever will fit haha, but currently using a Flexitone ligature

Cases:

• The Hiscox cases really fit the Conn’s like a glove!

Neckstrap:

• Just Joe’s Sax Gel Strap — awesome neck strap

 Website:

 https://www.tuckerantell.com/about.html

 MGH By Tucker Antell Video:

MGH

 Tucker Antell Lesson Video

Lesson

The post Jazz/Blues Saxophonist Tucker Antell Shares His Story And How He Approaches Practicing (Exercise Included!) appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Michael Brecker’s Visit to the USN’s Atlantic Fleet Band

Michael’s one day workshop came about through the hard work of MU2 (Musician 2nd Class) Jeremy Bustillos and the permission of LCDR (Lieutenant Commander) Mel Kessler, our band officer.

On or about September 2, 2003 we had a surprise visitor at the Atlantic Fleet Band in Norfolk, VA. Michael Brecker was in the boss’s office. We were asked to go to the Concert Band Room and be seated. First Michael talked to us for about an hour. We then broke for about 15 minutes. He listened to the Jazz Ensemble perform first. Then he spoke to the group. After lunch he listened to and made comments to the Rock Band and Show Band Combo. Finally he came into my office where I showed him the Runyon Pad Dope and my reed soaking solution that he expressed interest in earlier in the day.

Michael’s Talk

It is 0900 and the band is on edge waiting for our special guest to enter the room. Michael enters the room carrying his tenor sax case. He is introduced to us by LCDR Kessler. The band members applaud.

Michael’s Background

Michael took the deck and started talking about his background. His family lived in Philly where he grew up. His father was a lawyer who played piano well. At night he would invite whoever was playing in town to come by for a jam session. It was the 1950’s to mid 1960’s and Philly was still a hotbed of jazz activity. Michael said his Dad sued by day and swung by night. He was in awe of both his Dad and his brother Randy. He talked about them a lot.

His first instrument was the clarinet. He said when he was a kid he liked the way it looked. Michael said his first musical hero was Jimmy Giuffre of Four Brother’s fame. He said he used to practice by playing into a metal trash can to try to get the reverb that he heard on Giuffre’s recordings. I researched this and indeed on his record entitled The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet (1956; Atlantic 1238) there is indeed some reverb present. Not as much as Elvis, but the reverb is there.

The clarinet lasted only until Michael started to play basketball. This was from around the age of 12 until maybe 16 years old. Then he started to play alto sax. Around the age of 17 his teacher suggested he switch over to tenor sax. Michael didn’t give a reason but I assume it was because he was already quite tall.

Talking Shop

First off Michael encouraged the free exchange of ideas and questions. While some people did make a comment or asked a question most of the comments and questions came from three sax players. This was MU2 Trae Cummings, MU2 Gresh Laing and myself MU2 Larry Weintraub. I felt that a lot of people just did not know what to say. For some, especially the people who knew who he was it was like either Elvis or Sinatra came back to life and was in the room. For the others who had no idea who he was they just did not know what to say.

Mouthpiece Talk

So of course you always have the gear question. Michael said his gear wasn’t anything special. He played a Selmer Mk VI tenor, a Dave Guardala mouthpiece made especially for him and LaVoz medium reeds. He said that prior to playing the Guardala mouthpiece he was playing a more resistant mouthpiece with a harder reed. However he had throat problems and a lung collapsed. He had throat surgery to correct the problem. Michael showed us the scar that ran from one side of his throat to the other side of his throat. So he asked Guardala to make him a mouthpiece that was less resistant than his previous mouthpiece but with a sound that was close to his previous mouthpiece, a metal Otto Link. So after much trial and error they finally came up with a mouthpiece that was comfortable for him to play. This point is important, he really wasn’t a gear geek. His advice was to use what worked for you. He felt that a lot of musical advertising was just a bunch of hype.

Practicing Improvisation

So the question was asked, “how does he practice improvisation?” Michael said the following, “that he would take any melodic idea, phrase or lick and play it through the keys. He starts the idea at the bottom of the horn and works it all the way to the top of the horn going into the altissimo if possible.” He then said, “I have compiled tons of notebooks full of ideas that I have played through the keys.” He further stated “that an idea may not sound good in every key or in both the upper and lower registers but play them there anyway. It’s good practice.” Michael stressed, “do not write the idea out in every key, only in one key. Learn it by ear or by relating the scale or chord degrees. If you write it out in every key you’ll never learn the idea completely.”

Reeds and Warm-Ups

He then proceeded to put his tenor sax together, complained about his reed and demonstrated what he just talked about. He played an idea starting on low Bb and took it through all the keys over the whole horn. He started on low Bb, then low B etc until he was way past high F. All this on a reed that he said was starting to go. Not only did he do this flawlessly he also did it at a fairly brisk tempo. This got a nice round of applause from the band.

Someone asked him how he prepares for his day. He said, “I call my service before hand to see what gigs I have, where they are and the type of gig. Is it a studio session for a record, commercial or a jazz, funk or rock band gig? Then I never leave the house without testing out my equipment. I make sure I have at least two really good reeds and that my horn is working right.” This was important for me to hear. I cannot tell you how many times on a gig I have seen a reed player going through a box of reeds before the downbeat hoping to find that magic reed. That should be done before you leave for the gig.

He directed some questions to the sax players. He wanted to know if anyone had a good solution to the sticking pad problem. No one piped in, so I suggested that he look into Santy Runyon’s Pad Dope. I mentioned that Chris Vadala endorses it. By the way, this was before the so called non-stick pads were being made.

Reeds

Next Michael said “he liked his reeds moist and kept them in a plastic lunch baggie. However his reeds got this black mold on them.” No one spoke up so I again offered a solution. I learned this solution from a Master Class I attended given by MUCS ( Senior Chief Musician) Scott Silbert at the Saxophone Symposium at George Mason University. MUCS Silbert was a former member of the Navy Jazz Commodores and then a Staff Arranger for the Navy Band in Washington DC.

MUCS Silbert said the following, “take an old leak proof pill bottle, fill it halfway with water then fill the rest with mouthwash. Close the lid and shake it up. Then soak your reeds in the solution for under a minute. When you are finished playing take the reed off, soak it again for a second, wipe it off and then put the reed in your reed guard. Next and this is the important part – put the reed guard with your reeds in a ziplock baggie but do not close it all the way, leave it open about a quarter of an inch to let air in. This prevents mold, keeps your reeds slightly moist and it will give your reed that fresh minty taste.” Michael said that he would try it and that he was learning things from being with us. Again he really liked the exchange of ideas. He said “that he was interested in both the Pad Dope and the reed soaking solution.” I told him I would show it to him at the end of the day.

The Jazz Ensemble

It was now 1000 hours and we were the first group up. Every group played two tunes. The first tune we played was “Deedles Blues” written for Diane Shur and the Basie Band. It is a nice medium up blues in Db with a vocal by MU2 Kim Haynes and solos from various band members. If you think that some of us weren’t nervous think again. There was Michael Brecker sitting not 15 feet away from us ready to listen to us and critic us. Okay “Deedles Blues” was up and I had the first solo on alto sax after Kim sang a chorus or two. I said to myself, “alright Larry, don’t even look at him. You know what you can do, just stand up, do not face him and play when the time comes.” I will also say that halfway through the chorus there was a turn around in my part that went Dm7, G7 for 2 beats a piece. Then the next bar was Cm7, F7. Then back to Bb. So I stood up and played using some of the stuff I learned from my current teacher Marty Nau, a retired Navy Jazz Commodore alto player. Over the turn around section I played a pattern and it’s sequence. After my two choruses I sat down not looking at Michael. Someone from the trumpet section shouted out, “look, Brecker is giving Larry the thumbs up.” I looked over at him and he was giving me the thumbs up with a big smile. Talk about a rush, wow I felt great.

So we played the next tune, an instrumental blues that feature different soloist. The band was really grooving and guys were yelling out encouragement to each other during both tunes. Okay we were finished. Michael brings his chair in closer to talk to us. We waited with bated breath to hear what this very humble giant of jazz and NYC studio playing was going to say.

Michaels Comments to the Jazz Ensemble

• “You guys play in tune better than what I hear in most studio sessions in New York.”
• “However, as far as solos go, most of you need to go back and really Listen to the music.”
• “Most of you are not speaking the Jazz Language.”
• “The band was swinging, nice job by the drummer (MU2 Ricky Micou). Saxes really nice blend, really nice ensemble playing all around. I can tell that you guys play together a lot. You encourage each other, that’s good.”
• The lead alto player asked Michael what he thought of his sound on his solo. Michael said, ‘it was nice.”
• Finally Michael walked over to Kim and told her nice job on the vocal.

We were finished. It was close to 1130 and the band broke for lunch but not before Michael agreed to have a picture taken of him and I. Our Public Affairs Petty Officer (PAPO) was taking photos all day.

The Rock Band and the Show Band Combo

The Rock Band convened at 1300, in their room. The Rock Band is small, basically a rhythm section led by a sax player. They played a rock version of “The Nearness of You” and “Take The ‘A’ Train.” Afterward Michael made his comments, again coming in close with his chair. He was critical but he said everything in a nice way.

To the group as a whole, “nice rock version of “The Nearness of You. Nice sound alto player.”

To the alto player he said, “I can tell that you are a lot more comfortable playing and soloing in the rock idiom than in the jazz idiom. You need to work more on your jazz playing if you are going to play jazz too.”

To the drummer he said, ” you’re not grooving, do you mind if I sit behind your set and show you what I mean?” Of course the drummer let him. So Michael starts to lay down a groove and asks the rhythm section to join him and to listen to what he is doing.

To the rhythm section in both the Rock Band and Show Band Combo he said, “you guys need to listen to each other. You are all playing like each of you is in your own world and not part of a cohesive group. When you are each in your own world the group doesn’t swing or groove. You guys need to listen to and play off each other.”

The Show Band Combo played a standard and a blues. I do not remember which ones.

• To the Show Band Combo he said the following besides the above statement.
• “You guys need to listen to your bass player (MU2 Carl Jackson) he’s really laying down the feel, time and groove . Guitar player, lay out some, leave some space. Let the piano player fill more. Okay, let’s try it again.” The combo restarts, Michael says, “that was much better, way to go guitar player.”
• To the tenor sax player he said, “I know you are using plastic reeds because you told me so. However if I was you, I’d rethink the use of plastic reeds and go back to cane reeds.”

Michael’s final words to us in the Show Band Room

Unfortunately not everyone was in the room at this time. Present were some of us diehards from the Jazz Ensemble, some of the Rock Band, the Show Band, the LCDR and the Master Chief.

Hear is what Michael said:

To everyone, “first off, you guys are to hard on each other. I’ve heard people making comments about this guy or that guy. Help each other out. If one guy is weak in one area , help him. Maybe he can help you with something else.” He said, “this is music man, not corporate take overs. There is no reason to be hard on each other.”

• He continued “man, guys in New York would kill to have the situation that you have. Look at all your gear, the rooms, the fact that you get paid to play everyday. ( He didn’t mention the medical benefits for us and our families and the pension). Guys in New York are sweating it out from gig to gig.” With those statements he was alluding to some of the unprofessional behavior that some people exhibited during the day. People leaving early and not coming back. One guy saying, “why did they get him, why not Grover?” Actually by this time Grover had already passed away. However I think Michael may have heard that guy make that comment. To me he was an inspiration, however I cannot speak for everyone.
• To sax players in general he said “he liked a little resistance in his setup.”
• To everyone he reiterated, “be prepared before you play.”
• Finally he said, “Keep doing the music and be nice to each other.”

With that I approached him and asked him if he was still interested in seeing the Pad Dope and my reed solution. He said he was so Michael, myself, the LCDR and the Master Chief all went to my office where I had my stuff in my tenor case.

I placed a drop of the Pad Dope on his finger so he could feel it. Then I shook up my reed solution and let him smell it. I had my tenor sax on it’s sax stand. I told him I wasn’t really an alto player. Then the boss chimes in, “no your really a clarinet player.” I said, “no I’m really a tenor sax major who happens to play clarinet too.” Anyway he agreed to listen to me. So I picked up my tenor and started playing “Body and Soul.” I had just finished the “A” section and started to go into the 1st bridge in E minor on the tenor. He stopped me and as G-d as my witness said, “that’s it, thats the sound, you sound great”. Wow what a rush. It showed me that all the hard work I put into playing tenor sax and jazz playing was paying off. He asked me, little old nobody me what my setup was. I showed him my metal FL Otto Link 8with a Selmer Silver Ligature and a Rico # 2.5 reed. He told me, you know what, forget the hype, just use what works for you. He held my Link in his hand and said that he was thinking of going back to a Link. He asked me where he could try some. Well he lives in NYC so I said Roberto’s on West 46th Street. He always has a bunch of Links to try.

Conclusion

Well that was it. In my opinion it was a great day. Yes he said some corrective things to some people but he always said it in a positive way. He was trying to help us out in his own way. The Navy Music Program is very small. At the time we were allowed 806 people Navy wide. People tend to be very critical of each other and move in cliques. The bands should just be one family of music people who are doing a great job presenting the Navy and America in a positive light.

I hope you enjoyed this article and hopefully gained some insight into our day with Michael Brecker. Many of the comments he made to us could apply to any group of musicians, especially college bands. When you get out into the professional music world you need to show up on time, be prepared, have a # 2 pencil with you, keep your mouth shut and play your part really great.

Fast forward to the Spring of 2004. Michael and his group played at Christopher Newport College in Newport News. He played great. I especially liked his take on the ballad “My Ship.” I hung around after the concert to say hello and to give him a disc of photos taken during September, 2003. He remembered me asking how I was etc. I gave him the disc of photos and he signed the photo of him and I taken together in the band room. A few years later we learned that he passed away. What a sad day for everyone, especially for those of us who got to know him some.

Until next time play well and keep your reeds slightly moist. See ya around!

The post My Day with Michael Brecker – His Tips and Wisdom appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Learning to play saxophone can be an extremely rewarding experience. Whether you’re learning soprano, tenor, alto or baritone – the saxophone is widely considered to be the most accessible of all the woodwinds.

With new technology constantly being developed to make our lives easier, it has never been a better time to refine your skills on the sax! I’ve done some research and have found a few apps that has the potential to make your life much easier! Here are 5 Apps you can use to improve your saxophone playing:

Fingering

Find in the Apple Store

How you can use it: this app will be perfect for beginners or those who have trouble remember any obscure fingerings.

This is an amazingly useful app – learning correct fingerings is a core aspect of improving your playing and will undoubtedly give your skills an upgrade!

The app provides in-depth fingering charts for both brass and woodwind instruments. The app includes trill fingerings for minor and major 2nd intervals, as well as additional fingerings for minor and major 3rd trills.

If alternate fingerings are available for notes or trills – you can navigate through them to find the right one for you. Visual guides are also included for key names and locations to further understand the fingering charts.

Personally, I think the user interface is a little clunky – but you can tell the developer has done their best to pack all the information onto the screen without too much crowding.

Available to buy on the Apple store, this app is exclusively for iOs devices. At $4.99, it’s a reasonable price for a tool packed full of features. There’s also an additional Fingering app optimized for iPad.

Anytune Pro+

Find in the Apple Store

How you can use it: perfect for learning songs by ear or for transcribing.

This is an excellent app for any teacher or student to implement into practice routines. It allows users to manipulate the tempo and pitch independently of one another. This app won ‘Best Mac Music App of 2013’ – so you know it must be something special!

With the touch of a button you can speed up or slow the tempo down – this is great for transcription or learning a new tune. Adjusting the pitch is also incredibly simple and allows a 24 semitone (two octaves) shift up or down.

The interface is pretty intuitive and focuses on the visualisation of the audio. This is great for multiple reasons. Scanning through the song to find the section you need is easy with the waveform represented so clearly.

The app also provides infinite markers – so you can place a marker on a verse, chorus or solo section you need. You can also loop between markers so you can keep practicing one section over as many times as you need!

This app is also portable – meaning you can use it on your iPad, iPhone, or even your desktop! Anytune Pro+ has a free trial available for Mac OS, so if you’re curious to try it out – give it a go! However, if you’re a music teacher, the developers have kindly made the upgrade to Pro+ completely free!

Reframe (bundled with Anytune Pro+)

Find in the Apple Store

How you can use it: use this app to remove other instruments from the track. This way you can isolate the saxophone to learn the piece and play along to the backing track when you’re finished.

Reframe is created by the same developers of Anytune and comes bundled with Anytune Pro+. Reframe displays frequencies across the spectrum in a funky and colorful interface, and allows you to crop, edit, mute or isolate these sections, much like cropping or editing an image.

Along with customised user control, there are also a list of presets, such as ‘Remove Vocals’ or ‘Solo Bass’; the app detects these instruments automatically and completes the job with the touch of a button.

This is incredibly useful if you want to remove your instrument from a recording so you can practice the part in your session, but still have the band to play along with so you can get immersed!

Or, you may want to remove the rest of the parts playing and focus on your own so you can learn or transcribe it.

Whatever the case, Reframe’s algorithm is excellent and does a great job at detecting and isolating the different instruments in a song.

The ability to use it in conjunction with Anytune Pro+ gives you access to so many features that are sure to make your practice sessions fruitful!

Tuner & Metronome

Find in the Google Play Store

How you can use it: an easy to use all-in-one tuner, metronome and recording app.

Available on the Google Play store – for a very sweet price of nothing! For a free app, it’s had excellent feedback from the community.

With a 4.5/5 star rating by a whopping 47,129 users – it’s obvious this app is satisfying a lot of musicians.

The interface for this app is incredibly streamlined and simple; looking very user friendly and slick. With a touch of a button you can toggle the metronome on and off, access the tuner, select a rhythmic pattern and even record your playing!

There are some amazing additional features available for purchase within the app as well.

If you’re practicing in a noisy environment or the volume limit of your phone isn’t sufficient to hear the beats on your metronome, this app offers a fantastic solution – visual beats. The flashlight on your camera serves as your metronome!

Saxophone All-in-one

Find in the Google Play Store

How you can use it: use it for checking scales, referencing fingering, and transposing songs.

Saxophone All-in-one aims to provide you with everything you’d want as a saxophone player. It provides you with a collection of the most popular Blues scales as well as providing you with the common Major and Minor scales.

This app is well suited for beginner players. More advanced players may find a few features lacking – such as fingerings for the altissimo notes.

However, it’s a great app to have if you find yourself transposing songs from one key to the next. Keep in mind that it only offers transpositions for alto saxs.
The app also offers a select number of tutorials for beginners. Again, more experienced players will find little value in these tutorials except for maybe a quick refresher.

ForScore

Find in Apple Store

How you can use it: use it to organize and keep track of your sheet music.

ForScore is an excellent organisational tool developed exclusively for iOs devices. The interface is stunning and simple; sorting and accessing your sheet music is going to be an absolute breeze with this app.

ForScore can import pretty much any PDF score, as well as connect to various cloud based servers such as Dropbox.

You can keep your scores organised by tagging them – it could be the name of a composer, period or genre. ForScore will categorise and sort everything for ease of access!

Adding annotations to your scores is a simple process – you can use or edit presets to add notes, markings or symbols to any score.

Sharing scores is also simple; through email, Bluetooth and even Airdrop.

For $9.99, this is an easily justifiable purchase that will completely transform your sheet music collection!

Conclusion

The saxophone is a beautiful instrument, with so many benefits from playing. It’s a social instrument that thrives in the context of a band, and has a beautifully unique and distinct tone with a relaxing and smooth feel that characterizes jazz!

Musicians need tools to refine, practice and ultimately improve their craft. With so many apps available to musicians these days, it’s easy to get a little lost in all the noise.

This list will give you more tools that are genuinely useful at your disposal – while helping you get more out of your sessions!

About the author: Glen Parry has been a musician for over 15 years. He’s done everything the hard way so you don’t have to. You can find more musical advice and audio gear buying guides, such as this guide for selecting pianos, over at AudioMastered.com.

The post Five Apps That Will Improve Your Saxophone Playing appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

This article is part 2 in a 2-part series covering the latest and greatest saxophone products shown at NAMM 2018. In case you missed it, click here for part 1.

AM Mouthpieces

I have been hearing more buzz around the AM mouthpieces made by Arnold Montgomery. While at the show, Arnold had me try the “Aras”, “Katana”, “Luna” and the new “Blue Heron” models in hard rubber as well as metal.

• The Aras is the brightest of the current models with a high baffle that leads into a medium sized bullet chamber
• The Katana is the 2^nd brightest but not as bright as the Aras. Contains a medium high step baffle with a medium large chamber.
• The Luna has a smooth rollover baffle that leads into a large chamber. This model was made to go after those players who enjoy the sound characteristics to those popular mouthpieces made in the 1940’s & 1950’s.
• Blue Heron: This is one of Arnold’s newest models. Arnold informed me this model is for those players who really like vintage hard rubber Otto Link mouthpieces but with a slightly different baffle.

After test playing each model, I preferred the Katana model the most for its overall sound and play-ability. I thought the Blue Heron or Luna would had been a closer fit for me since I play on an old hard rubber slant link but that was not the case. With that being said, Arnold also let me try his personal mouthpiece which was a Ankh prototype and I liked this mouthpiece the most out of all his models. I am hoping he makes a hybrid between the Katana and his Blue Heron model because I think that mouthpiece would suit me the best. I would like to thank Arnold for taking the time to show me his various mouthpieces and I hope to check out more of his work later this year.

Website

https://www.ammouthpieces.com/

Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual”

It was great to see Alex Miyatake at NAMM this year. If you are not familiar with Alex, he is the owner of Marmaduke Music and produces his own line of mouthpieces, ligatures, reeds, and neck-straps. I met Alex at my first NAMM show and have visited him ever since to see what new products he has to offer. Since I liked his mouthpieces, (facings similar to vintage hard rubber Otto Link’s & Meyer’s) I was interested in trying out his new neck-strap called the Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual”. I already own his Marmaduke “Feather” Strap III EX for tenor saxophone and wanted to see how it compared. The new Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual” offers the saxophonists a neck-strap that also doubles as a harness. This strap I found to be more comfortable than the “Feather” Strap III EX due to its gel inserts (reminded me of the Just Joe’s neck-strap). The side straps can be attached to your belt and around your waist so the neck-strap turns into a harness. I did notice with the harness attachment that the horn felt lighter and moving around with this strap was not restricting. I currently use the Jazzlab Saxholder neck-strap and found the Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual” to offer similar comfort and re-distribution of pressure from my neck to my shoulders. If you are in the market for a strap/harness combo, I would recommend you add the Marmaduke Feather Strap “Dual” to your list of neck-straps to test play.

Website

Marmaduke Music

The Growling Sax

While walking around the NAMM show, I ran into a few players who told me to check out The Growling Sax company. I have seen quite a few Facebook videos with players test playing the various line of Growling Sax saxophones and I wanted to check them out for myself. Melvin Quinones, owner and CEO of The Growling Sax, had me test play two tenor models at the show. One of them was The Growling Sax (TGS) Uprise Series Professional saxophone and the other was the TGS H1110 Professional tenor saxophone.

TGS Uprise Series Professional Tenor Saxophone

The Uprise tenor saxophone I test played at the booth had a matte black finish with matte silver keys. Some features specific to this model are as follows: brass neck, body, and bell, rolled tone holes, adjustable high D, Eb, and F palm keys, Italian Pisoni pads, blue steel springs, metal thumb hook, metal resonators, and a hand engraved bell, bow, body tube, and neck. The Uprise tenor saxophone’s overall construction and aesthetics reminded me of the MacSax Mac 8 model as well as the adjustable high D, Eb, and F palm keys feature is something I have seen done on Keilwerth as well as the Eastman 52^nd street saxophones. Sonically, I found the TGS Uprise model to produce a broad & big sound that reminded me more of a Conn. I found that depending on your mouthpiece setup, this horn could lean towards the brighter or darker side. The overall ergonomics felt quite good but I would have the spring tension lightened for faster action personally. Overall, I found the Uprise model to play well in tune and if you are currently on the market for a tenor saxophone and are open to any brand, you might want to check out TGS Uprise tenor saxophone.

TGS H1110 Professional

The other model Melvin Quinones showed me was the TGS H1110 Professional model tenor saxophone. Compared to the Uprise model, The TGS H1110 professional tenor saxophone boasts a few different features such as: 85% copper neck & straight tone holes. The TGS H1110 Professional tenor saxophone I played at the show had a cognac bell, bow, neck, and a black nickel body tube. The engraving on this model was the typical floral engraving I have seen on many saxophones but with the growling sax logo either stamped or laser-engraved on the side. In comparison to the TGS Uprise tenor saxophone, I found the TGS H1110 to have a much more focused sound. The setup and ergonomics did feel very similar to the Uprise model. Sonically, I found this model had a slightly warmer and mellow sound with less resistance compared to the TGS Uprise model which could be attributed to the material and neck taper. Overall, I told Melvin if he could combine sonic characteristics found in the TGS H1110 with the additional features on the TGS Uprise model, that would be the horn I believe many players would be interested in checking out. I would like to thank Melvin for his time and again, if you are in the market to replace your main saxophone or looking for a back-up, you should check out The Growling Sax saxophone line and see what you think.

Website

https://thegrowlingsax.com/

Forestone White Bamboo Reed

Since Forestone first came to the NAMM show a few years back, I have play tested their Forestone Traditional, Black Bamboo, Hinoki model reeds as well as their saxophones and mouthpiece patches (Hinoki Reed & Mouthpiece Patches Review). Each year, I have played Forestone’s various synthetic models and have become more open to potentially switching from cane over to synthetic (but not yet). This year, Lars Heusler (CEO of Forestone) introduced me to the white bamboo model which is a French filed cut unlike the un-filed cut on the Hinoki. I played tested a 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5. I found I needed to move down to a 2 or 2.5 to find the right reed strength for me. The white bamboo model was quite free blowing and the overall sound between the low end and high end was consistent. I have found many synthetic reeds to tend to play from top to bottom freely but the timbre is quite different especially in the low and high end of the sound spectrum. This is not the case with the Forestone white bamboo model. Personally, I think this is the best model that Forestone currently offers from a sound and consistency standpoint. I am looking forward to picking up a few Forestone White Bamboo reeds in the near future but personally will continue to play traditional cane reeds because I still feel there are certain sound characteristics that synthetic reeds have not been able to achieve for me.

Website

https://www.forestonejapan.com/reed

Vandoren V16 Large Chamber Tenor Mouthpiece

After Vandoren released the V16 S+ chamber for alto saxophone (BSWE V16 S+ Alto Mouthpiece Review) and is was quite a hit (my personal favorite V16 alto offering), Vandoren began developing a large chamber V16 tenor saxophone mouthpiece. This year, Vandoren finally released the V16 large chamber hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I have played Vandoren products in the past and my first hard rubber tenor mouthpiece was a V16 Medium Chamber T7 tip opening. I was excited to see how the V16 large chamber played in comparison. When I played the V16 Large Chamber T6 I noticed an overall darker sound that took more air and had a greater level of resistance than I was used too. Personally, I prefer the V16 medium chamber in comparison to the large chamber mouthpiece because I find my sound to be more focused, contain more edge, project further, and have less resistance. With that being said, saxophonist Lucas Pino, (BSWE Lucas Pino Interview) was very pleased with the overall response and sound on the V16 large chamber tenor mouthpiece and actually has been asking Vandoren to make a V16 large chamber model to suit his playing. I am interested to see which Vandoren artists and players switch over to the new large chamber model and hope to in the near future spend some more time with this mouthpiece and try various reed and ligature combinations to see what works best for me.

Video

NAMM 2018 – Vandoren V16 Large Chamber Tenor Mouthpiece

Marca Reeds

Although Marca Reeds have been around since 1957, I actually have not had the chance to test play them. This year, after visiting the Vandoren booth to test play the new V16 Large Chamber hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece, I stopped by the Marca booth and met with Nicolas Righi (CEO) & team to test play the various reed models they brought to the show. I test played the American Vintage as well as the new Marca Jazz Reeds with a filed and un-filed cut

Marca American Vintage Reeds

The Marca American Vintage Reeds reminded me of a cross between a Vandoren V16 and a Vandoren ZZ reed. I tried a 2 to 2.5 American Vintage tenor reeds which played quite well but I always use a Reed Geek to make sure the back of the reed is smooth and even so it has a complete seal with my mouthpiece.

Marca Jazz Un-filed/Filed Reeds

The Marca Jazz Un-Filed/Filed played very similar to the D’Addario Select Jazz Reeds. I found the Marca Jazz reeds are slightly more freer blowing with a bit more edge than the Marca American Vintage model but both models played well overall. I am glad I finally spent some time at the Marca booth to check out the new Marca Jazz series reeds which suit the type of sound I am looking for. I highly recommend if you are unhappy with the current reeds you are using, to test play the Marca brand and see if they work for you or not.

Website

https://www.marcareeds.com

Honorable Mentions

1.) ReedGeek Klangbogen – Matte finish (https://www.reedgeek.com/product/klangbogen-bore-reed-stabilizer-3-pin-set-one-piece/)

2.) Kim Korea Saxophones (https://www.kimssaxophone.com/)

3.) Jody Jazz Jet Tenor Mouthpiece (https://jodyjazz.com/super-jet-tenor/)

Final NAMM Thoughts

The 2018 NAMM Show was filled with new products, artists, and most importantly, exhibitors showcasing their latest and greatest saxophones, ligatures, mouthpieces, necks, reeds, neck straps, sax stands and the list goes on and on. What I have seen over the past 5+ years, besides the introduction of new products, is further improvements in the manufacturing and assembly of saxophones and accessories resulting in equipment that lasts longer. Unfortunately (like every year), I was not able to visit every booth at the show that I wanted to and spend the amount of time I would have liked to test play various products. As always, to any of the manufacturers I met at NAMM, if I did not include you in this list, this is not a reflection on your product, it just simply came down to time. If you would like me to review your product specifically or have any questions, please feel free to contact me using the information from my author bio below. Again, another great NAMM Show in the books and I can’t wait to see what NAMM 2019 has in store for us saxophonists next year!

The post NAMM 2018 Saxophone Gear Roundup- Part 2 appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Introduction

This marks my 7^th year attending NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) and the show keeps getting better and better every year. Similar to my experience at the 2017 NAMM Show (2017 NAMM Show Saxophone Gear Roundup), the 2018 NAMM Show was full of exhibitors showcasing products such as: necks, ligatures, mouthpieces, reeds, neck-straps, cases and of course, saxophones. With only four days to see it all, I tried my best to test play as many products as I possibly could. Unfortunately (as it happens every year), I was not able to meet with every exhibitor I wanted to as well as spend hours upon hours trying out each piece of gear. I will be reviewing some of the new products I was able to test play at the show this year and will also note products that I hope to test play at a later date.

 These products, in no particular order….

P Mauriat Master 97 Tenor Saxophone

When I stopped by the P Mauriat booth this year, I saw that they had released a few new products. These products were the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor and P Mauriat Premium saxophone reeds. Due to the popularity of the P Mauriat Master 97 alto, P Mauriat has finally unveiled their Master 97 tenor. Similar to the alto, the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor showcases unique features such as: newly designed right thumb hook, improved side key-action, a 4 point bell brace, an improved octave key mechanism for smoother action, and sterling silver octave pips. Similar to my experience with the P Mauriat Master 97 alto, the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor did not disappoint. I found the overall sound was quite flexible so whether you are a classical or jazz saxophonist, this horn would work well in both situations. The intonation on the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor was quite good as well as the overall action and construction was solid. The overall weight of the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor was slightly heavier than the other P Mauriat models I tried at the booth. I personally think the P Mauriat Master 97 tenor is the best model that P Mauriat is currently offering and hope to see some of these new features incorporated into their existing models (P Mauriat 66, 67, & 76 2^nd edition models).

Video

NAMM 2018 P Mauriat Master 97 Tenor Saxophone

P Mauriat Premium Saxophone Reeds

I have seen more saxophone manufacturers starting to expand their product line to include various accessories. This year, P Mauriat was showcasing their own line of saxophone reeds. The P Mauriat Premium saxophone reeds are French cane with an un-filed cut. I was given a box of strength 3 reeds and tried all five. I found the cane responded well and did not see any blemishes or imperfections. I did find the reeds to play slightly stiff so I used my ReedGeek to further balance them. Overall, the reeds played fine but I personally prefer other manufactures cane and reed profiles. With that being said, I am glad to see P Mauriat offering additional accessories to complement their current line of saxophones.

Retro-Revival Mouthpieces

I have seen more players switching from their current mouthpiece setup over to one of the mouthpiece offerings by Retro-Revival. I had a chance to test play the “Super D” model (Replica of a vintage link double ring Super Tone Master) at KB saxophone services a few months back and was quite impressed. This year, Retro-Revival had their own booth at the 2018 NAMM Show which was manned by well-known mouthpiece maker/re-facer Eric Falcon and CEO of Retro-Revival mouthpieces, Joel Peskin. While at the booth, Eric introduced me to some of the newer models that just came out before the show which were the “Tru-Res”, “Seventh Ave. South” and “Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3” tenor saxophone mouthpieces.

Retro-Revival “Tru Res” (7*)

The “Tru-Res” is a replica of the classic 1940’s Vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece. This mouthpiece works well whether you are a jazz or classical player and embodies a really dark core that is even from top to bottom. Some players who play the Otto Link Reso chamber are Seamus Blake (before switching to Ted Klum) and Ben Wendel. A unique feature to the “Tru-Res” compared to the original Reso Chamber mouthpieces, is the “Tru-Res” comes in larger tip openings (7*, 8, 8*). I found the “Tru-Res” model to fit its description well. This mouthpiece played evenly from top to bottom, with a very dark core. The “Tru-Res” was designed for players who want a mouthpiece that leans towards the darker side of the sound spectrum. There was some resistance based on the facing but it was not stuffy or tubby. The “Tru-Res” was easy to control and as I pushed more and more of air thru the mouthpiece, the sound did not thin out. I believe those players who are looking for a dark, focused, and edgy mouthpiece will really enjoy the “Tru-Res”.

Video

Bob Sheppard Playing The New “Tru-Res” Replica

Retro-Revival “Seventh Ave. South” .107

The “Seventh Ave. South” is a copy of Joel’s Personal MBII. that Dave Guardala hand made for him when he first started his operation. This model is CNC milled from solid bell brass and then silver plated. The original MBII is a .107 tip opening but in addition, a .116 tip opening is available as well. Each mouthpiece is hand-finished by Eric Falcon to make sure it plays as close to the original. The “Seventh Ave South”, similar to the original MB II has tons of power, core, and center when pushed. This mouthpiece unlike others in its category is a direct Replica from a handmade and hand-picked mouthpiece by its creator Dave Guardala. The original Guardala mouthpieces are incredibly sought after and many players are playing the originals (if they can get their hands on one) as well as various versions from multiple manufactures. I have tried many copies of the various Guardala models and some played better than others. Although my preference is the “Tru- Slant” or “Tru-Res” because I play on an original hard rubber slant link, The “Seventh Ave. South” (.106) played quite well. This mouthpiece was incredibly free blowing with the sound being instant. I believe this mouthpiece would suit players who want no resistance, instant response, and a mouthpiece that can play really loud and project. Of all the Retro Revival models I test played, the altissimo on the “Seventh Ave. South” was the easiest to achieve. If you are a Guardala enthusiast, you should try the “Seventh Ave. South” and see how it compares.

Video

Joel C. Peskin Playing Our New Retro-Revival “Seventh Ave South” Tenor Sax Mouthpiece Replica MB II

Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3 (7*)

“Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3”- was a collaborative design by Eric Falcon and Bob Sheppard. The “Generation 3” is the latest version of Bob Sheppard’s personal favorite mouthpiece which is a fusion of classic design concepts found at Retro Revival and Eric Falcon’s breakthrough modifications that significantly improve response and dynamic range. After playing the “Tru Res”, “Tru Slant”, “Seventh Ave. South” and “Shorty”, Eric asked me to test play the Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3. I had played the 1st and 2nd Generation in the past and was excited to see how the Generation 3 model played in comparison. The Bob Sheppard 1st and 2nd Generation mouthpieces played evenly throughout from low Bb to high F# but contained a level of resistance that I was not used too. The Generation 3rd in comparison was much more-freer blowing and had a complex timbre that was neither too dark nor too bright. The overall sound had warmth as well as edge and like many of Eric’s mouthpieces, you could push a lot of air thru the mouthpiece and feel like you still had the same control from pianissimo to fortissimo. The “Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3” to me was a hybrid model that took characteristics from a Slant Link, Early Babbitt, and Reso chamber and combined it into one mouthpiece. I would highly recommend test playing the “Bob Sheppard Signature Series Model Generation 3” mouthpiece to see how it compares to your setup.

Video

RETRO-REVIVAL BOB SHEPPARD PLAYING HIS NEW “SIGNATURE SERIES” GENERATION 3 TENOR SAX PIECE

Website

https://retro-revival.com/

Boston Sax Shop Heritage Tenor Neck

This year at NAMM, I was fortunate enough to meet up with Jack Finucane, who is the owner+repair technician of the Boston Sax Shop. Jack had two products at the show he wanted me to test play which were his new Heritage neck and the Balam Back Strap. When I spoke with Jack, he informed me that his Heritage Neck was “conceived from his twin passions; restoring vintage saxophones and playing them.” As Jack’s repair work has grown in popularity, he has had the privilege to examine and test-play hundreds of vintage necks. This extensive research helped Jack design his Heritage Neck, which he took little pieces of his favorite attributes from each one that he found to be exceptional. The major influence for this neck comes from the free blowing characteristics Jack found in earlier Selmer’s such as the Radio Improved and Balanced Action horns.

Product Overview

“The Heritage neck plays with more flexibility and has more width to the sound than a standard Mark VI neck without sacrificing control or pitch. I find it offers the player more room to push and opens up the middle register which is often more covered on tenor, producing a more homogeneous sound across the horn. The Bare Brass Heritage Neck is made with a proprietary alloy sourced from Germany. Each neck will form its own naturally beautiful patina over time and handling. The Heritage Neck is precision made to exacting tolerances to ensure consistency, is hand engraved, and comes with a custom neck-fitting included.”

My Thoughts

I tried the Heritage Neck on a Lupifaro Platinum tenor I brought to the show to see how it compared to the stock neck. The Heritage Neck fit was slightly loose but overall fit well enough for me to play test. I was quite surprised by the response on the Heritage Neck. The overall sound had a very nice core and edge that I could push without the sound thinning out. I noticed specifically in the palm keys that the sound was more stable and from top to bottom the horn played more even. The stock Lupifaro neck I have is good but similar to the KB & Tino Schucht saxophone necks I have played in the past, the Heritage Neck offered more tonally and was quite fun to play. I think any player who is interested in experimenting with various necks should absolutely check out the Heritage Neck and see how it compares (More in-depth review to follow).

Website

Boston Sax Shop Heritage Tenor Necks

Balam Back Strap

The 2^nd product Jack had me test out was the Balam Back Strap. The Balam (“Wind” in Korean) Back Strap, is a strap that is handmade in Korea and utilizes full grain leather straps with antiqued cast brass fixtures. Jack told me this strap was designed to alleviate serious neck pressure and place the pressure equally across the shoulders. I found this strap offered pressure relief from my neck which typically I have seen only accomplished with a select few neck-straps and various harnesses. This strap can be used on soprano, alto, tenor and bari by adjusting various strings (see video). The overall quality was very good on the Balam Back Strap and I believe this strap is targeted towards players who are looking for high quality, comfort, and a strap that is going to last them for years and years to come.

Website

Balam Back Strap

Video

Balam Back Strap: YouTube

Silverstein Works

As Silverstein ligatures have grown and grown in popularity over the past few years, Silverstein has added more accessories to its line of products. This year, I had a chance to speak with BK Son, who is the owner of Silverstein Works. BK Son was nice enough to show me his three new products which are the OmniGuard, Alta Reed for alto saxophone, and the OmniPatch.

OmniGuard

The OmniGuard was designed as a lower and upper teeth/lip protector for single and double reed instruments. When I tried the material out on my bottom teeth, it felt quite comfortable and reminded me slightly of the feeling of a mouth-guard that you would use in football or soccer. The material was easy to customize to fit your upper or lower teeth and felt secure once molded. This is a much nicer alternative than what many of us have used in the past which was a piece of plain white paper that we would roll-over our bottom teeth. I see this OmniGuard as a useful accessory for many classical musicians. As someone who primarily plays jazz, I personally prefer to not have paper or a guard on my bottom teeth but, understand the benefit of the OmniGuard. BK Son told me the material should last you 12 months and comes with tweezers and a carrying case for easy transportation and further adjustments.

Website

OmniGuard Product Overview

Video

OmniGuard YouTube Demonstration

Alta Reed (Alto Saxophone)

At last year’s NAMM show, BK Son showed me the Alta Reeds for clarinet but did not have any currently available for saxophone. This year, BK Son gave me a 2.5 Alta alto saxophone reed to test play with the tenor reeds coming out in the near future. If you have not heard of the Alta line of reeds, they are cane that is sourced from the Mediterranean and then designed and manufactured in Germany. I tried the Alta alto saxophone reed that BK Son gave me and it played quite well. The cane had no blemishes or inconsistencies that I could see. One of the main selling points for the Alta Reeds that Silverstein is offering is a quality guarantee. What this means is if you purchase a quantity of 5, 10, 15, etc. and find various reeds that do not play well, you have the ability to send them back to Silverstein and they will send you replacement reeds, free of charge. In addition, Silverstein offers a subscription option so you can have reeds automatically delivered to you every month at a discounted rate over the single purchase option. I am looking forward to picking up a box of 5 or 10 Alta reeds in alto and tenor (once released) to further test play and see how the quality guarantee program works.

Website

Silverstein Alta Reeds (Saxophone)

OmniPatch

I have seen more and more manufacturers starting to offer their own line of mouthpiece patches at various thicknesses, colors, as well as materials. The OmniPatch looks like a traditional mouthpiece patch but what differentiates it from the competition besides the silicon material and adhesive, is the tooth-plant imprinted into each mouthpiece patch. Similar to the Vandoren, D’Addario, and Forestone mouthpiece patches I have tried, the OmniPatch felt comfortable while playing and was easy to remove without losing the adhesive. The tooth-plant impriment did take me some time to adjust to because how I play, my front teeth fall slightly over the implemented tooth plant. Personally, I really like the patches but would actually do without the teeth guide because everyone’s teeth are different. If the OmniPatch molded to your front teeth so every time you play you found a comfortable position, that would be a different story.

Website

OmniPatch Overview

Video

OmniPatch

Rovner Platinum Gold Ligature

Rovner has become one of the most widely used ligatures across multiple woodwind instruments. In the past, I have reviewed the Rovner Versa X, Rovner Van Gogh, and Rovner Platinum (BSWE Rovner Product Review). When I visited the booth this year, the new 24-karat Gold Plated Platinum ligature had recently come out. I test played the original Platinum ligature against the Gold Plated version to see if I could hear a difference. Overall, both ligatures responded very similarly except I did find the Gold Plated Platinum Rovner ligature to have a slightly dark tone. My recommendation would be if you currently play on the original platinum ligature, to check out the gold plated version and see if you can hear a difference in the overall tone and response.

Website

https://www.rovnerproducts.com/platinumgold-ligature

Ochres V-6 alto saxophone

Since first play testing the Ochres line of saxophones at the 2016 NAMM Show and further reviewing the Ochres No. 5 Professional X Series Vintage tenor saxophone (BSWE Ochres Saxophone Review), I visited the booth this year to see what was new. Christine Liu, CEO of Ochres, was nice enough to show me their new Ochres V-6 Alto saxophone as well as their Balloon Sonar Screw accessory that is placed in the lyre holder. Christine told me that The Ochres V-6 is different from other models on the market because they used special alloys developed in-house to enhance the richness of the overall sound. Similar to their other models, the Ochres V-6 is equipped with Pisoni pads which are installed using shellac instead of glue. There were two Ochres V-6 alto’s at the show. Compared to the other models Ochres offers, I did find the Ochres V-6 alto responded extremely well from top to bottom. The overall sound I found to be edgy, focused, and warm. This horn could be used for classical as well as jazz. The ergonomics and intonation were great and for me personally, I might have the spring tension lightened a bit and possibly add some cork or felt in certain areas for less play. The Ochres V-6 reminded me of the Selmer Reference 54 alto saxophone in terms of the key setup and sonically geared towards players looking for that classic Mark VI sound. I want to thank Christine for letting me test play the Ochres V-6 alto saxophone and am looking forward to test playing the Ochres V-6 tenor once it is released.

Ochres Balloon Sonar Screw

The Ochres Balloon Sonar Screw was developed to stabilize unstable frequencies between the neck connecting to the body tube. I tried the Balloon Sonar Screw on the Ochres V-6 alto to see how it responded with and without it. I noticed slightly more resonance with the Balloon Sonar Screw than without it. I believe this could be attributed to adding more mass similar to various heavy neck screws I have seen on the market today. I did notice a more significant impact to the sound and play-ability while using the Klangbogen device but I believe the Ochres Balloon Sonar Screw can make a slight impact to the overall response and evenness across the entire range of the horn. I would recommend testing this device on your preferred setup and determine if it makes a difference or not for you. Again, I would like to thank Christine for allowing me to test play both the Ochres V-6 alto saxophone and the Balloon Sonar Screw. I am looking forward to seeing what else Ochres has to offer in the near future.

Website

http://www.ochresmusic.com/

So that’s it for this installment of Zach’s adventures at NAMM 2018. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming shortly!

The post NAMM 2018 Saxophone Gear Roundup appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

 Introduction

This year, The 2018 NAMM Show was filled with various manufacturers and vendors showcasing their new and existing line of products. With so many saxophones, ligatures, reeds, mouthpieces, cases, neck-straps etc. to test play (SO MANY!), it can become overwhelming. As mentioned in my 2018 NAMM Saxophone Gear Roundup (BSWE NAMM 2018 Round-Up), I was able to meet up with Joel Peskin to check out the Retro Revival line of mouthpieces. I spoke with Joel Peskin (Owner of Retro Revival) who was nice enough to send me the most current Retro Revival line up of mouthpieces after the show. I will be providing a product overview, my thoughts on each mouthpiece, and a final recap.

“Shorty” Replica 50’s Selmer Scroll Shank-Round Chamber Soprano Sax Mouthpiece (F Facing)

Product Overview

The Retro Revival “SHORTY,” is an accurate replica of the sought after vintage “Selmer Scroll Shank” hard rubber soprano mouthpiece. Over the years, this highly sought-after mouthpiece from the 50’s became the industry’s favorite and is still the standard bearer for soprano mouthpieces. Anyone looking for a great “scroll shank”, knows how rare and difficult it is to find a tip opening larger than a “D”. Retro Revival’s “SHORTY” is available in tip sizes from “D” to “H”. The search for an original “scroll shank” took Retro Revival close to three years to then find an “F” that performed as well as a great original. Retro Revival believes their new replicas play better than the originals as they are more consistent from mouthpiece to mouthpiece. The facing in comparison to the originals was slightly improved so there is more efficiency and sparkle to every SHORTY that will certainly impress. Intonation is the first concern crucial to soprano mouthpieces’ performance and the “SHORTY” delivers. The “SHORTY’s” harmonics will prove amazingly stable, with just enough resistance to keep the pitch locked, a clean positive response in the palm keys and great articulation in all registers.

My Thoughts

Please note, I mainly play/practice tenor & alto saxophone, not a full time soprano player. The Retro Revival “Shorty” mouthpiece is targeted to those players who either have been looking for an original Selmer scroll shank soprano mouthpiece or for those players looking to upgrade their current setup. I received the Retro Revival “Shorty” in a F facing. Retro Revival offers a D (.051) to H (.063) tip opening depending on your preference. Sonically, I found the Retro Revival “Shorty” to have a medium bright sound and to be very responsive. I noticed there was a nice timbre to the overall sound as well as focus. I found the “Shorty” was very easy to articulate across all registers on my soprano. I found in the palm keys I was able to play in tune with a full sound which is something I have struggled with in the past on my current setup. Overall, The Retro Revival “Shorty” is a great alternative to the vintage Selmer scroll shank soprano mouthpiece. I have seen various players play on mouthpieces such as: Selmer C*’s, Vandoren V-16, Ted Klum Classic, Bari, Otto link, and Soprano Plant to name a few. I think if you are currently in the market (especially looking for a vintage Selmer scroll shank) you should test play the Retro Revival “Shorty” soprano mouthpiece. I personally would like to test play the “Shorty” in a smaller tip opening to see if it would be a better fit for me over the F Facing.

Demos

Bob Sheppard Playing The “Shorty”

Paul Harr Plays The “Shorty” & Reviews

Retro Revival “New Yorker” Replica Vintage NY Meyer Bros Medium Chamber Alto Sax Mouthpiece (6M)

Product Overview

The Retro Revival “New Yorker” alto saxophone mouthpiece is a replica of an original Meyer Bros New York mouthpiece. The Meyer Bros New York mouthpiece was played by such great saxophonists as Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods and many more. An original untouched Meyer Bros is indeed quite hard to find and if you start searching for one on eBay, you can easily end up spending well over $2,000 on one that’s unfortunately mediocre or unplayable. Based on Retro Revival’s extensive mouthpiece collections, Bob Sheppard and Joel selected and play tested each one until they narrowed it down to ‘The One”. The Meyer Bros New York selected, delivered the fattest sound, fastest articulation, evenness of color and consistency of intonation. Retro Revival utilized CAD technology and highest quality vintage formula German rod rubber as well as each mouthpiece is individually test played by Joel or Bob.

My Thoughts

I have played a mix of original Meyer Bros New York 5M and 6M alto saxophone mouthpieces in the past and they all played quite different. From my experience, play testing various manufacturers’ mouthpieces, the Meyer Bros New York is one of the most copied designs in production today as well as modified designs. I have played a few great vintage original Meyer mouthpieces and do understand the hype around them. I was sent The Retro Revival “New Yorker” mouthpiece in a 6M tip opening which seems to be the tip opening across multiple mouthpiece brands that works best for me. The Retro Revival “New Yorker” alto mouthpiece played very well. Sonically, the overall sound was medium neither leaning towards the darker or brighter side of the sound spectrum. The “New Yorker” is incredibly responsive and really maintains an overall round and warm sound that when pushed could be edgy especially in the upper stack. The “New Yorker” articulated well and consistently throughout the entire range. For me, what I liked most about the “New Yorker” and what I have found in various vintage Meyers is this mouthpiece has an overall consistent sound and focus throughout the entire range. I think the Retro Revival “New Yorker” is a great overall mouthpiece that produces a big, warm, focused sound that is easy to control. I think if you currently own a vintage Meyer Bros mouthpiece or have been searching for one, you might want to try out the Retro Revival “New Yorker” and see how it compares.

Demos

Various Players Test-Playing the “New Yorker”

Paul Harr Play Test/Review Retro Revival ” New Yorker” alto mouthpiece

Retro Revival “New Yorker” Replica Vintage NY Meyer Bros Small Chamber Alto Sax Mouthpiece (6S)

My Thoughts

Very similar to the Retro Revival Alto “New Yorker” medium chamber mouthpiece, the small chamber “New Yorker” has a full bodied warm sound across the entire range of the saxophone. I would say those players who want a freer blowing experience might prefer the small chamber over the medium chamber. In addition, I found the altissimo easier to achieve on the small chamber “New Yorker” but my personal preference is still the Medium Chamber because I really like the level of resistance and projection.

Demos

Bob Sheppard Play Testing the “New Yorker” Small Chamber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkdXEjB0CWA

“Super D” Replica Vintage Link Double Ring Super Tone Master Tenor Sax Mouthpiece (7*)

Product Overview

The Retro Revival “Super D” tenor sax model is a replica of an early 1950’s Otto Link “Double Ring” Super Tone Master. The Otto Link “Double Ring” Super Tone Master was once played by such saxophonists as: Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Johnny Griffin, Dexter Gordon, Michael Brecker, and the list goes on. The Otto Link “Double Ring” although played by some of the greats, unfortunately had a short production run. The Otto Link “Double Ring” mouthpiece had a higher baffle profile in comparison to the previous tubby “Tone Master”. This newer design produced the classic modern “Link” sound. This sound can be characterized with a brighter sound in the upper stack as well as an overall faster response. In addition, this facing still maintained a rich mid and low range due to the slightly deeper chamber. Of all the “Link” models that were produced in the past, Retro Revival believes the “Double Ring” vintage has the superior tonal characteristics of all the Otto Link metal mouthpieces.

Finding an original “Double Ring” Otto Link is very difficult. On occasion you may spot one on eBay from $1,200.00 to $2,000.00, but unfortunately, many of these original “Double Ring” links have been compromised by inferior re-facing’s or very small tip openings. Retro Revival chose an untouched “Double Ring” example to replicate and produce the elusive missing “Link” many players continue to search for today. Retro Revival describes the “Super D” mouthpiece as a full bodied metal mouthpiece that really packs a punch. The “Super D” is a very flexible mouthpiece that lends itself to any stylistic approach. Every aspect of the “Super D” has been meticulously duplicated from a perfectly mint Florida as well as the darker “New York” original “Double Ring”. The “Super D” is available with tip openings from a 6* to 8*, the “Florida” and “New York” have the same chamber designs but, difference being the baffle profile. The lower baffle “New York” version is gold plated, very balanced, and centered with plenty of projection. The “Florida” version is rhodium plated with a higher baffle for players wanting a bit more zing. Retro Revival believes the tonal characteristics and response of both these classic designs will impress any serious player.

My Thoughts

Similar to the vintage Meyer Bros New York mouthpieces for alto saxophone, the Otto Link “Double Ring” metal mouthpieces are some of the most sought after Otto links on the market. The Retro Revival “Super D” mouthpiece in a nutshell reminds me of a great link. Sonically, the “Super D” had a nice bright sound in the upper stack that when pushed would stay focused and really project. Although many vintage links have been known to have a “tubby” sound or a high level of resistance, the “Super D” I found was freer blowing and with a level of resistance that many players who have played or play links currently would prefer. Due to the “Super D’s” chamber & baffle, it was easy very to play fast passages as well as articulate. Finally, I found the “Super D” was easy to control and play various dynamics from top to bottom across the entire range of the saxophone consistently which is not something I have found while trying out various vintage and modern Otto Link metal mouthpieces. The “Super D” New York version in comparison to the “Florida” (rhodium plated) played very similar but when I tried the “Florida” model, which has a higher baffle, I found the response to be a bit faster and there to be less resistance. Overall, The Retro Revival “Super D” tenor saxophone whether the “New York” or “Florida” model are great metal mouthpieces that I think players looking for a metal mouthpiece or a consistent playing Link should check out.

Demos

Bob Sheppard Testing Retro-Revival “Super D” 7* NY & Florida Tenor Sax Mouthpieces

Paul Harr Reviews the Retro Revival “Super D-NY” tenor saxophone mouthpiece

Brandon Fields Playing iReedMan’s Retro Revival 8FL “Super D” Dbl. Ring Tenor Mouthpiece

Jerry Bergonzi Plays the New Retro Revival “Super D” Gold New York 7* Dbl. Ring Tenor Sax Mouthpiece

 “Seventh Ave. South” Replica Guardala MB II Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (.107)

Product Overview

The “Seventh Ave. South” is a new model which is a precise copy of Joel’s own personal MBII that Dave Guardala hand made for him when he first started his operation. Dave was making these choice pieces for such players as Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis, Tom Scott and others. This model is CNC milled from solid bell brass and then silver plated. The original Guardala MBII mouthpiece had a .107 tip opening. In addition to the .107, the “South Ave. South” will also be offered in a .116 tip opening for those players preferring a larger tip opening. The “Seventh Ave. South” tenor saxophone mouthpiece has tons of power, core, and center without being super edgy. This mouthpiece is extremely free blowing and really produces a huge sound. The “Seventh Ave. South” is particularly a great mouthpiece for Jazz, Latin, R&B, Blues etc. and unlike many other copies available today, the “Seventh Ave. South” is a direct replica from a hand-made and hand-picked mouthpiece by its creator Dave Guardala.

My Thoughts

The original Guardala mouthpieces are incredibly sought after and many players are playing the originals (if they can get their hands on one) as well as various versions from multiple manufactures. I have tried many copies of the various Guardala models and some played better than others. Although my preference is the “Tru- Slant” or “Tru-Res” because I play on an original hard rubber slant link, The “Seventh Ave. South” (.106) played quite well. This mouthpiece was incredibly free blowing with the sound being instant. I believe this mouthpiece would suit players who want no resistance, instant response, and a mouthpiece that can play really loud and project. Of all the Retro Revival models I test played, the altissimo on the “Seventh Ave. South” was the easiest to achieve by far. If you are a Guardala enthusiast, you should try the “Seventh Ave. South” and see how it compares.

Demos

Joel C. Peskin On The Retro-Revival “Seventh Ave South” .107 Tenor Piece Replica Guardala MB II

Bob Sheppard Playing our New Retro-Revival “Seventh Ave. South” Replica MB II Tenor Piece

“Tru-Slant” Replica 50’s Vintage Florida Slant Signature Link Tone Edge Tenor Sax Mouthpiece (7)

Product Overview

The “Tru-Slant” is Retro-Revival’s replica of a Otto Link Tone Edge Slant Signature tenor mouthpiece which as many of you may know is one of the most sought after vintage hard rubber tenor mouthpiece’s on the market today. In the late 1950’s, Otto Link created the Tone Edge back in New York City and this mouthpiece quickly became the standard played by many great tenor players. The original Tone Edge was manufactured with a larger chamber and was only available up to a 6 tip opening. After Otto Link moved to Florida, changes took place in the manufacturing process. The updated Slant Signature manufactured in Florida contained a higher rollover baffle and the tip sizes ranged from a 5 up to a 9 tip opening. This Florida version of the Otto Link Tone Edge became quite popular and is still played on by many players today. When Otto Link decided to re-locate to Elkhart Indiana with their remaining mouthpiece blanks and tooling, the Tone Edge remained excellent for quite some time, but something happened to the quality and playability with future production. Fortunately, Retro Revival went through the efforts play testing many versions of the Tone Edge from Bob’s & Joel’s collections to find the best one. The Retro Revival “Tru-Slant” comes in tip openings ranging from 6-8*.

My Thoughts

Of all the various models that Retro Revival has to offer (more to come), this “Tru-Slant” was the model I was most excited to test play. My main mouthpiece for the past 7 years has been an original Otto Link Slant Signature 6 tip opening that I had opened up to a 7 by mouthpiece re-facer Eric Falcon. Like many of us, once we find the mouthpiece that works best for us and have played for quite some time, it can be difficult to make a switch to a new mouthpiece. Since I really like my vintage Otto Link “Slant Signature”, I have been looking for a replacement or back-up in case anything were to happen to my main mouthpiece. Joel Sent me a Retro Revival “Tru-Slant” in a 7 tip opening which would be similar to what I currently play. The Retro-Revival “Tru-Slant” in comparison to my original Otto Link “Slant Signature” played very similar. Sonically, I found this mouthpiece to have a dark low end, a medium center, and play medium bright in the upper stack. The “Tru-Slant” had a nice balanced core that I found to be smooth with some edge when pushed. The “Tru-Slant” in comparison to my original “Slant Signature” noticeably projected from low Bb to high F# and was slightly easier to articulate. The intonation on the “Tru-Slant” was great and took little to no time to adjust too. I did initially find my “Slant Signature” had less resistance compared to the “Tru-Slant” but after trying a few different reed strengths/cuts and ligatures, The “Tru-Slant” had a similar resistance level to my Slant. Overall, the Retro Revival “Tru-Slant” embodies many of the characteristics that players are searching for in an original “Slant Signature” and if you are in the market specifically for a vintage hard rubber Link, you might want to check one out and see how it compares.

Demos

Retro-Revival “Tru-Slant” Late 50’s Replica Florida Slant Sig Link Tone Edge Tenor Sax Mouthpiece

BRANDON FIELDS ON THE RR “TRU-SLANT” REPLICA VINT LINK TONE EDGE TENOR PIECE

“Shorty” Replica 50’s Selmer Short Shank Soloist Tenor Sax Mouthpiece (G)

Product Overview

Retro Revival’s Tenor “Shorty” is a replica of the 1950’s Selmer “Soloist”, coined by professionals as the “scroll shank” or “short shank”. This classic Selmer mouthpiece was known for its warmth, fast articulation and great intonation. The “Soloist” was most notably played by the great Joe Henderson for his entire career as well as musicians such as Rich Perry and Gary Campbell. The Retro Revival “Shorty” replica, with its horseshoe chamber captures a warm mid-range but can be played gritty and ferociously when pushed harder. An original untouched Selmer “short shank” has been very difficult to locate and rarely can be found with tip openings larger than a “D”. The Retro Revival “Shorty” was modeled and cloned from a spectacular playing Selmer “Scroll Shank” which happened to be refaced by tenor master Jerry Bergonzi some years ago. The Selmer design had beautiful qualities, but many Jazz players felt it was stuffy and lacked bottom. With today’s CAD technology and CNC equipment, Retro-Revival was able to address these flaws and produce a really great playing mouthpiece. The Retro Revival “Shorty” is offered with the following tip openings: D, E, F, G, and H.

My Thoughts

I have played various Selmer Soloist copies and originals in the past. I would agree that the original Selmer Soloist I have played tended to be a bit stuffy and had a nasal like sound with a fair amount of resistance and limited response. The Retro Revival “Shorty” replica still maintains the horseshoe chamber associated with the original Selmer Soloist mouthpiece but has some slight modifications that were based off of Jerry Bergonzi’s personal Selmer Soloist. I found the “Shorty” to be more responsive as well as play much less resistant than the original Selmer Soloists. The “Shorty” maintained a dark focused sound that was very easy to articulate. I did find the “Shorty” compared to an original Selmer Soloist had a sound quality that was very clean and focused instead of broad and edgy. If you really like Joe Henderson, Javon Jackson, Rich Perry, and the list goes on, I think you might want to take another look at a Selmer Soloist or in this case, the Retro Revival “Shorty” tenor mouthpiece.

Demos

BOB SHEPPARD W OUR NEW RETRO-REVIVAL “SHORTY” REPLICA 50’s SHORT SHANK SOLOIST TENOR SAX MOUTHPIECE

“UK Special” Replica 1950’s Duckbill Berg Tenor Sax Mouthpiece (110/2)

Product Overview

Berg Larsen, was originally known as a professional musician and reed maker in Archer Street London. In 1945, he designed and manufactured a range of ebonite mouthpieces for clarinet and saxophone which later evolved into a range made out of stainless steel. The Berg Larsen line of mouthpieces have a unique design: a small chamber with flat side walls and even side rails. This design makes them unique among the various popular vintage brands. Berg Larsen used a unique tip opening chart (95/2, 100/2, 110/2 etc.) compared to other manufactures as follows:

The first number (95 for example) is the tip opening in thousandths of an inch.  95 means .095″. (note: Bergs run about .005″ small, so a 95 would actually measure .090″.) The second number (2 for example) indicates the baffle height/brightness. The second number ranges from 0 to 3. 0 being the brightest and 3 being the darkest.

Unlike the original Berg Larsen mouthpieces, the Retro Revival “UK Special” is milled on a CNC lathe and further finished so each tip opening is true to the indicated number. The Retro Revival “UK Special”, is a replica of the hard to find 1950’s vintage Berg Larsen metal tenor mouthpiece. The “Duck Bill” design which had a longer body/# 2 bullet chamber design was only made for a short period of time. Retro Revival believes this specific Berg model is one of the fattest and best playing models from over a decade of other lack luster Berg Larsen designs. The Retro Revival “UK Special” is accurately copied from one of the best sounding/playing vintage Berg Larsen mouthpieces from Bob & Joel’s collections. This vintage Berg Larsen mouthpiece was played by the such famous saxophonists as Sam Butera, Junior Walker, King Curtis, Sonny Rollins, Lenny Pickett, Charlie Ventura, Coleman Hawkins, Booker Ervin, Babe Russin, Roland Kirk, Pete Christleib, Yusef Lateef, etc.

My Thoughts

I have tried various vintage Berg Larsen metal and hard rubber mouthpieces in the past. For me personally, the vintage and modern Berg Larsen mouthpieces had a big sound but the consistency across the entire horn as well as overall control was something I tended to struggle with. The Retro Revival “UK Special” Joel sent me was a 110/2. In comparison to some of the vintage metal Bergs I test played in the past, what I noticed right away with the “UK Special” was the sheer power and projection I could get from this mouthpiece with very little air. The Retro Revival “UK Special” I found to be a versatile mouthpiece (similar to Paul Harr’s review) and believe those players that want a mouthpiece that can really project with a huge sound, would really enjoy this mouthpiece. The “UK Special” played consistently from top to bottom and I did not notice any stuffy/thin areas in the extreme lows and highs. The “UK Special” is definitely easier to control than other vintage metal bergs I have played but I found some of the other Retro Revival mouthpieces to suit me better. I believe the “UK Special” is similar to the “Seventh Ave. South” model in terms of a instant response but the difference being the “UK Special” has more of a big broad sound while the “Seventh Ave South” is much more focused/direct.

Demos

Bob Sheppard Plays New Retro-Revival “UK SPECIAL” Tenor Sax Piece 50’s Replica Berg Duckbill Replica

REVIEW: Retro Revival “UK Special” by Paul Harr

Retro Revival Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3 Tenor Sax Mouthpiece (7*)

Product Overview

The “Bob Sheppard Signature Series” tenor saxophone mouthpiece is an original design that was made for multi-instrumentalist Bob Sheppard. The “Generation 3”, is the latest version of Bob Sheppard’s personal mouthpiece which is a fusion of classic design concepts found at Retro Revival and further modifications that significantly improve response and dynamic range.

My Thoughts

After playing the “Tru Res”, “Tru Slant”, “Seventh Ave. South” and “Shorty”, I finally test play the Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3. I had played the 1st and 2nd Generation in the past and was excited to see how the Generation 3 model played in comparison. The Bob Sheppard 1st and 2nd Generation mouthpieces played evenly throughout from low Bb to high F# but contained a level of resistance that I was not used too. The Generation 3rd in comparison was much more-freer blowing and had a complex timbre that was neither too dark nor too bright. The overall sound had warmth as well as edge and could be played from pianissimo to fortissimo with very little effort. The “Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3” to me was a hybrid model that took characteristics from a Slant Link, Early Babbitt, and Reso chamber and combined it into one mouthpiece. I would highly recommend test playing the “Bob Sheppard Signature Series Model Generation 3” mouthpiece to see how it compares to your setup.

Demos

RETRO-REVIVAL BOB SHEPPARD PLAYING HIS NEW “SIGNATURE SERIES” GENERATION 3 TENOR SAX PIECE

Thomas Luer: Bob Sheppard Signature Series Generation 3 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Retro Revival “Tru-Res” Replica Vintage 1940’s Otto Link Reso Chamber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (7*)

Product Overview

One of Retro Revival’s latest replica’s is called the “Tru-Res”. This is a precise replica of the classic 1940’s Vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor Saxophone mouthpiece. Retro Revival describes the “Tru-Res” as a mouthpiece that embodies a beautiful rich sound that will suit any Jazz or Classical player. Sonically, the “Tru-Res” has a very dark core and plays evenly up and down the horn. The “Tru-Res” is made of the finest German Hard Rubber, and CNC milled to precise measurements. Each and every model that comes off the mill is fine-tuned and played tested to assure quality control. Unlike many of the used Otto Link Reso Chamber mouthpieces that you might find on eBay with smaller tip sizes, The “Tru-Res” Retro-Revival Mouthpieces come in a 7*, 8, and 8* tip opening.

My Thoughts

I found the Retro Revival “Tru-Res” model to fit its description well. This mouthpiece played evenly from top to bottom, with a very dark core. The “Tru-Res” was designed for players who want a mouthpiece that leans towards the darker side of the sound spectrum. There was some resistance based on the facing but it was not stuffy or tubby. The “Tru-Res” was easy to control and as I pushed more and more of air thru the mouthpiece, the sound did not thin out. I believe those players who are looking for a dark, focused, and edgy mouthpiece will really enjoy the “Tru-Res” tenor saxophone mouthpiece. If you are a fan of Seamus Blake and Ben Wendel who have played on Otto Link Reso Chamber mouthpieces, you might want to give the Retro Revival “Tru-Res” a shot and see what you think.

Demos

Bob Sheppard Playing The New “Tru-Res” Replica 1940’s Link Reso Chamber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Retro Revival “UK Special” Replica 1950’s Berg Hard Rubber Baritone Sax Mouthpiece (110/2)

Product Overview

The Retro Revival “UK Special” hard rubber baritone is a replica of Retro Revival’s owner, Joel Peskin’s, 1950’s Berg Larsen 110/2 model hard rubber baritone mouthpiece. This mouthpiece was originally played by famous Hollywood woodwind specialist Gene Cipriano, who used this mouthpiece on countless recordings and soundtracks. Joel always wanted to duplicate this vintage Berg Larsen due to it’s fat/dense sound. With CNC technology, Retro Revival is excited to offer their “UK Special” hard rubber baritone mouthpiece. After the 70’s, Berg Larsen changed the overall design of future Berg Larsen mouthpieces which Retro Revival believes the newer models were not of the same quality and performance. As a result, the vintage Berg Larsen’s hard rubber baritone mouthpieces have become harder and harder to find.

Similar to the Retro Revival “UK Special” for tenor saxophone, the Retro Revival “UK Special” for baritone is based on the original Bullet Chamber design which maximizes projection and tonal clarity. The “UK Special” speaks clearly in the altissimo range and tunes with precision in all registers. Like all of the Retro Revival mouthpieces, the “UK Special” is made from the highest quality German rod rubber which will serve you for a lifetime.

My Thoughts

Please note, similar to soprano, I am not a full time baritone player. The Retro Revival “UK Special” baritone mouthpiece I believe was targeted toward those players who are looking for a fat sounding well-rounded hard rubber baritone mouthpiece as well as those baritone players who enjoy playing on a Berg Larsen hard rubber baritone mouthpieces. Sonically, I found the Retro Revival “UK Special” to play right in the middle of the sound spectrum (neither super dark nor super bright). The “UK Special” was very responsive and like Joel mentioned in his description, the sound was very fat and really projected. There is a core to the overall sound depending on your embouchure and how you focus your air but I found the “UK Special” to be a bit more broad than laser focused (Seventh Ave South). The “UK Special” was very easy to articulate across all registers and tuned well (especially for someone who does not regularly play baritone regularly). From my understanding, similar to the vintage Meyer’s for alto and vintage Otto Link’s for tenor, the vintage Berg Larsen’s, Lawton, and Gale Hollywood baritone mouthpieces are some of the most sought after pieces on the market today. I believe if you like vintage Berg Larsen hard rubber baritone mouthpieces, you should definitely test play the Retro Revival “UK Special” as well as if your someone who does not play baritone often, the “UK Special” is a great all-around mouthpiece.

Demos

BRANDON FIELDS ON THE NEW RETRO-REVIVAL 110/2 “UK SPECIAL” REPLICA BERG DUCKBILL BARI SAX MOUTHPIECE

JOEL C. PESKIN ON THE NEW RETRO-REVIVAL “UK SPECIAL” REPLICA VINT. BERG HR BARI SAX PIECE 110/2

Final Recap

There are  multiple mouthpiece manufacturers offering unique as well as “vintage” designs that it is almost impossible to be completely up to date on what’s new. Since attending multiple NAMM shows and writing for BSWE, Down Beat, Reverb, etc. I have been lucky enough to play test a wide range of mouthpieces across soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone with unique facings and manufactured of unique materials. Although there are so many mouthpieces on the market today, I have learned from speaking with various musicians that for the most part, there are a select group of vintage mouthpieces that a majority of players want to play. After speaking with Joel Peskin and Bob Sheppard, as well as play testing the various models that Retro Revival has to offer for soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone, I believe Joel and Bob have done a great job recreating these vintage mouthpiece from the past. With that being said, I have played vintage Meyers, Links, Berg Larsen, etc. mouthpieces that I prefer overall to the Retro Revival offerings. But, using the “Tru Slant” as an example, I have not played many new “vintage slant” mouthpieces that offer the overall same feel and sound to my vintage hard rubber link that the “Tru Slant” offers. My recommendation would be if you own a original Meyer, Link, Berg Larsen, Guardala, etc. and are looking for a back-up or replacement, I would recommend checking out the Retro Revival line of mouthpieces to see if its worth making the switch. I want to thank Joel and Bob for sending me the Retro Revival line of mouthpieces as well as answering all my questions while test playing/reviewing.

Retro Revival Website

Retro Revival Saxophone Mouthpieces

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Introduction

The saxophone stand is probably one of the most overlooked accessories by saxophonists today (at least in my opinion). The saxophone stand, although scene as a simple piece equipment with the purpose of holding the saxophone, should not be overlooked. There are a few popular manufacturers such as Hercules, Hamilton, K&M, which have been manufacturing saxophone stands for quite some time.

Within the last few years, I have seen a few vendors start to experiment with materials such as carbon fiber to manufacture cases, reeds, mouthpieces and even saxophone necks. At this year’s NAMM show, Gijs van Leeuwen (Owner of WoodWindDesign) introduced his carbon fiber saxophone stand for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone (low A & Bb). Gijs was nice enough to send me a carbon fiber stand for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone to try out. I will be providing a product overview for the WoodWindDesign Carbon Fiber Saxophone Stands as well as my overall thoughts and feedback.

Product Overview

The Carbon Fiber saxophone stands offered by WoodWindDesign’s are very light weight stands (much lighter than traditional saxophone stands) that can be easily broken down and transported inside the bell of the saxophone when traveling. Although these carbon fiber saxophone stands are extremely light, the carbon fiber material and design make these stands incredibly stable.

Two features to note on each stand is the saxophone pegs and bell holder. The saxophone pegs each has a rubber foot to absorb any shock or movement that could occur from someone accidentally knocking into the stand for example. The bell holder design for the alto, tenor and baritone saxophone securely holds the saxophone in place at various angles due to the length of the curve as well as the lined rubber. The lined rubber is a better option over traditional foam because there is a better grip on the instrument leading to further protection.

A popular feature with this stand is it can to be fully disassembled to fit in the bell of the saxophone as you put the horn back in the case while traveling to your next gig. There are five carbon tubes that each have a different diameter and actually fit into one another. The tubes and peg once dis-assembled fit into a cloth bag (provided with stand) that you place in the bell of your saxophone. The bell holder does not fit in the bell of your saxophone but instead fits over the bell. With each stand placed in the case, you will be surprised how light weight they are and in many cases, you do not even notice the extra weight.

Weight:

• Soprano: 50gr/1.8 oz
• Alto: 90 gr/3.2 oz
• Tenor: 190gr/6.7 oz
• Baritone: 500 gr/1.1 lbs

Gijs Product Demonstration

Review

I was excited when I received the WoodWindDesign carbon fiber saxophone stands for soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone. From my experience testing out various necks, reeds, and cases that have been manufactured with carbon fiber, I have overall been very impressed with this material.

Weight: These are by far some of the lightest (or the lightest) saxophone stands I have had the chance to test (especially baritone saxophone) to date. Compared to my Hercules, Hamilton, and On-Stage stands, all four (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone) of these stands combined weigh less than 2 pounds. Since all four stands are so light weight, they are very easy to carry from practice to practice or gig to gig.

Transportation: Many saxophone stands are able to be folded like a music stand for transportation. What I liked about the WoodWindDesign saxophone stands in comparison was each carbon fiber stand is able to be dissembled to the point which you can fit the stand inside the saxophone bell. The overall benefit is an easier way to transport your saxophone stand(s).

Protection: A light weight and easily transportable stand are important features of a great saxophone stand BUT the overall protection the stand provides your saxophone is by far the most important (at least in my book). Although carbon fiber is extremely light, the material is incredibly strong and durable. The rubber ends on each peg of the stand does provide overall good grip when placed on the floor but in my opinion I would like to see a bit more rubber added to each one of the pegs for more stability and grip. The bell holder curve with rubber was another feature I liked about this stand because the saxophone could be tilted to the left or right and stay stable. On other stands I have tried, if the saxophone is not centered and if accidentally knock to either side, the saxophone would most likely fall off the stand.

Final Thoughts

I would like to thank Gijs for sending me the WoodWindDesign carbon fiber saxophone stands for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone. I overall liked the design, protection, ease of transport, and weight that these stands had to offer. One thing to keep in mind is due to the higher cost of carbon fiber, the WoodWindDesign saxphone stand(s) is quite a bit more expensive than other stands you have seen on the market. There is an adapter that WoodWindDesign offers which allows you to place an alto saxophone on the tenor carbon fiber stand (2 in 1). If you are looking for a saxophone stand but on a specific budget, the WoodWindDesign carbon fiber saxophone stands will probably not be the right fit. On the other hand, if you are looking for an extremely light-weight, durable, and easily transportable saxophone stand, the WoodWindDesign saxophone stand(s) for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone (especially baritone) is probably one of your best options.

Product Photos

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Baritone

To learn more about WoodWindDesign stands, go to http://www.woodwinddesign.eu.

The post A Saxophone Stand That Fits in The Bell – But Will it Hold Up? appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Introduction

The vintage Otto Link “Slant Signature” mouthpiece is still today one of the most sought after and copied mouthpieces on the market. Almost every mouthpiece maker/manufacture offers their version of an Otto Link Slant Signature whether it be an “exact” copy or a slightly modified version. I have reviewed various Otto Link “Slant Signature” models in the past such as the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 1 (Theo Wanne Slant Sig 1 Review). With that being said, I recently received the second version of the Theo Wanne Slant Sig called the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2.

Instead of just comparing how the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 stacks up against the previous version, I thought it would interesting to compare two of the best-known Slant Sig replicas (or tributes?), the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 and The Retro Revival Tru-Slant with my personal mouthpiece, an original Otto Link Slant Signature. I’ve included audio clips below to demonstrate the differences in sound.

Testing Equipment

• Saxophone: Lupifaro Platinum Tenor
• Reed: Woodstone 2.5 cane
• Ligature: Ishimori Sterling Silver
• Mouthpieces:
  • original Otto Link Slant Signature (7)
  • Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 (7*)
  • Retro Revival Tru-Slant (7)

Otto Link Slant Signature (7) (originally 6, opened to 7 by Eric Falcon)

Let’s start with a clip of the original Slant Sig to use as the “control” here, so we can get a sense of what it is that the Theo Wanne and Retro Revival pieces are striving for.

Clip

Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 (7*)

Product Overview

Theo Wanne utilized his experience re-facing and collecting various vintage Otto Link mouthpieces to make the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 tenor saxophone mouthpiece. He leveraged the best design principles from the first Slant Signature models (early 1950’s) through the Early Babbitt models (1970s).

Theo believes his Slant Sig mouthpiece is the perfect mouthpiece for students and pros alike that are looking for that ‘classic’ tenor sound but do not want worry about the inconsistencies that can be found in the original vintage Otto Link mouthpieces. The Slant Sig 2 is made from premium hard rubber and features a large chamber and roll-over baffle with even side/tip rails.

After the Slant Sig 1 was released, Theo received customer feedback and made further modifications before releasing the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2. Theo believes the Slant Sig 2 embodies even more projection, fullness and warmth to the overall sound compared to the Slant Sig 1.

Tone & Response

I found the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 mouthpiece was quite free-blowing with a nice core and projection to the sound. Sonically, this mouthpiece played slightly darker in the bottom end, neutral in the middle, and a bit brighter in the top end. The sound did have some edge to it when pushed, but compared to other Slant link models I have played from other manufacturers, the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 was cleaner and had less bite to the sound. Overall, I found from low Bb to High F# and even into the altissimo, the Slant Sig 2 maintained and even scale at various dynamic levels.

Intonation

The Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 took very little time to adjust to and the intonation was great while working through the overtone series. I found the intonation on the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 slighter better than the previous model.

Build Quality

The tip and rails were even and I did not notice any scratches or unevenness with the table. I believe this mouthpiece is completely CNC’d instead of done by hand which I am quite impressed with the level of detail and what you are able to accomplish today with an advanced CNC machine. The hard rubber material responded well and the gold ring is a nice touch which I know Theo Wanne includes on all of his mouthpieces.

Overall

The Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 in comparison to the original Theo Wanne Slant Sig 1 is significantly better in my opinion. This model projects more and is easier to play at various dynamic levels.

Clip

Find Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 on Amazon.com

Retro Revival “Tru-Slant” (7)

Product Overview

The “Tru-Slant” is Retro-Revival’s replica of a Otto Link Tone Edge Slant Signature tenor mouthpiece (Retro Revival Mouthpiece Review). In the late 1950’s, Otto Link created the Tone Edge back in New York City and this mouthpiece quickly became the standard played by many great tenor players. The original Tone Edge was manufactured with a larger chamber and was only available up to a 6 tip opening.

After Otto Link moved to Florida, changes took place in the manufacturing process. The updated Slant Signature manufactured in Florida contained a higher rollover baffle and the tip sizes ranged from a 5 up to a 9 tip opening. This Florida version of the Otto Link Tone Edge became quite popular and is still played on by many players today.

When Otto Link decided to relocate to Elkhart Indiana with their remaining mouthpiece blanks and tooling, the Tone Edge remained excellent for quite some time, but something happened to the quality and play-ability with future production. Fortunately, Retro Revival went through the efforts play testing many versions of the Tone Edge from Bob’s & Joel’s collections to find the best one. 

Clip

Final Thoughts

Whether I am playing the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2, The Retro-Revival Tru-Slant mouthpiece or my original vintage Otto Link Slant Signature, I am going to generally sound very similar on each mouthpiece (as you can hear from the clips above).

I found the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 was the most free-blowing of all three mouthpieces. I believe this has to do with the Slant Sig 2’s baffle, chamber and facing curve. The Tru-Slant’s baffle to the tip and side rails is much closer to my vintage link in comparison to the Theo Wanne piece, which I would categorize as a modified Link rather than an exact replica.

The Tru-Slant feels and plays much more similarly to my vintage Link in comparison to the Slant Sig 2, but there were some differences. The Tru-Slant had the most edge and projection, but had a bit more resistance that took a little bit of time to get adjusted to.

My recommendation would be if you are looking for a free-blowing hard rubber mouthpiece with a nice core and projection that does sonically capture many characteristics of a vintage Slant Signature, the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 would be a mouthpiece to consider.

In comparison, if you want a Slant copy that feels and plays very similarly to an original vintage hard rubber Otto Link but from my perspective, has more edge and projection, The Retro Revival Tru-Slant would be a mouthpiece to consider as well.

Unsurprisingly, I preferred my hard rubber vintage Link. To me, it was almost a combination between the free-blowing characteristics of the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 but with the feel, core, and edge that I found when playing the Retro-Revival Tru-Slant.

I would like to thank Bryan Vance over at Theo Wanne for sending me the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 to test play and review. I would highly recommend anyone who is playing a vintage Slant Link (like me) but is looking for a back-up or replacement to add the Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 to their list as well as other options such as the Retro Revival Tru-Slant. And who knows, those newer pieces may indeed end up replacing your original, so ultimately, it’s a matter of trying them all for yourself.

Regardless, it’s great to know that there are options when it comes to experiencing the great qualities of the legendary Otto Link Slant Signature.

The post Theo Wanne Slant Sig 2 Mouthpiece: How does it stack up to the competition? appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Official Bio

Hailing from the remote location of Perth, West Australia, saxophonist Troy Roberts has received numerous accolades including 3 DownBeat Jazz Soloist Awards, 2 Grammy Nominations, and was the only Australian semi-finalist in the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Since attending The West Australian Academy Of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and graduating with a Bachelor of Music at the young age of 19, Troy has performed around Europe and the US extensively with artists such as Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Joey DeFrancesco, James Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Christian McBride, Sammy Figueroa, Dave Douglas, Orrin Evans and Kurt Elling just to name a few. After touring for a few years & recording with a wide array of artists, Troy decided to pursue his Master’s Degree at The University of Miami Frost School of Music. In 2012, Troy had the opportunity to share the stage in an international septet comprised of jazz giants Wayne Shorter, Richard Bona, Vinnie Colaiuta and Zakir Hussein for Herbie Hancock’s launch of International Jazz Day at the UN, NYC. In addition, Troy was also part of Hancock’s 2014 International Jazz Day held in Osaka, Japan performing with jazz luminaries such as Gregory Porter, Marcus Miller, Esperanza Spaulding, John Scofield and Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Currently, Troy is based in New York City where he maintains a busy performance and recording schedule with some of the greatest jazz artists of today.

Zach Sollitto: Why did you choose the saxophone?

TR: When I was 12 years old, I attended a family friend’s high school graduation, where the schools Jazz Big Band performed a set. I remember being fascinated during the tenor solo, and pestered my parents for what I thought was called a trumpet. After a year of nagging, and a bit of research, my parents bought me my first saxophone.

ZS: Who did you study with while growing up in Australia?

Troy Roberts: My very first teacher was Bill Louwen, whom I continued to study with for many years. A stern yet encouraging man, he instilled many disciplines in my playing, focusing on mostly classical studies and pieces, as well as old Dutch, German and English folk tunes. During my undergrad at The West Australian Academy Of Performing Arts (WAAPA), I studied Jazz saxophone with Jim Cook in the first year, Roger Garrood in the second year, and Graeme Lyall in my final two years. All four of these teachers were huge influences and very important figures in my musical upbringing.

ZS: How is the Jazz scene in Australia compared to the U.S.?

TR: Of course nothing compares to the New York jazz scene, where you can live and breathe music and where resources and opportunities are boundless, which is why I moved here. And although there are many other US cities with thriving jazz scenes, there are also many US cities with little to none. Australia certainly has a healthy and vibrant Jazz scene – mostly in Melbourne, South Australia, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane. There are many great Jazz musicians, lots of great clubs around the country, a few amazing and longstanding festivals, and some great schools/universities with very strong jazz programs. But there are also many cities with little to none. As you may have gathered, I really dislike generalizing, but considering Australia’s significantly smaller population, I think it has a very strong jazz scene. However, in the US cities with strong jazz scenes, there’s something undeniable about this music’s rich history driving its scene like no other.

ZS: When you decided you wanted to pursue music as a career, why did you choose the University of Miami to study music?

TR: I already had a career in music before moving to the US. As an exceptional early entrant to The West Australian Academy Of Performing Arts, I began my undergrad at age 15, and was fortunate enough to fall into steady gigs. Upon graduating, I spent the following 5 or 6 years performing, touring Europe, and recording before commencing a Masters Degree at The University Of Miami’s Frost School Of Music. The school, its jazz program, and its professors all came highly recommended by close friends who had studied there. Upon graduation, I stayed on faculty at Frost for a few years prior to moving to New York.

ZS: After finishing your undergrad at The West Australian Academy Of Performing Arts (WAAPA), what was the reason you decided to get a Master’s in Jazz Studies. Any advice for musicians who are considering getting their master’s in Jazz Performance?

TR: I feel pursuing a Masters in Jazz Performance is time well spent. I can speak only from my own experience in that it was a lot of time playing music and being challenged in many helpful ways, such as sight-reading in a high-level big band four days a week, working toward many high profile small group, big band and orchestra performances, and learning to present an intelligent and well written paper. Perhaps the years between my undergrad and masters brought to light how much time that life’s responsibilities take away from time immersed in music. So I really appreciated being 100 percent occupied by studying music again, honing in on my craft and trying to get my playing to the next level.

ZS: Do you prefer leading your own group or touring as a sideman?

TR: I am very fortunate in that my sideman schedule is comprised of some of the greatest musicians in the world. I am also blessed to lead my own band, performing my original music to new audiences around the world. These are two vastly differing experiences, both of which I love.

As a sideman, you first and foremost need to play your parts and interpret the music, which can mean anything from following, contributing or even leading the music at times. Essentially you’re hired hands, chosen to bring a bandleader’s vision into fruition, and hopefully chosen because of the way in which you do this. I have been a sideman in a wide variety of musical situations under an even wider array of bandleader personalities, and I’ve learned something from each and every one of them. I always look for the lesson in every situation and quietly store it away for future reference.

With my own projects, I hire people whose musicianship I admire, whose personalities are fun to be around, who respect my music and thrive to bring my vision into fruition. I want my musicians to take liberties and express themselves within the compositions. I had the pleasure of performing with Wayne Shorter at Herbie Hancock’s first International Jazz Day in 2012, where I’ll never forget Mr. Shorter saying, “I don’t like giving speeches, I prefer dinner table conversation”. I want my musicians to shine, and for us to converse. Leading my own band also comes with a lot of responsibility aside from composing and performing my music, ie; coordinating five people’s schedules, booking shows, flights, hotels, ground transport, backline instruments, etc.. Not everyone’s personalities are conducive to being both a good sideman and bandleader. I think I’m doing OK though. I am certainly enjoying both.

ZS: What material do you find yourself practicing the most these days?

TR: It really depends on what I have coming up. Most of my time lately is learning or shedding music for upcoming dates. But when I have time to myself, I work on some maintenance stuff as well as trying to develop new ideas. I do spend time identifying my weaknesses, and appropriately working on strengthening those aspects of my playing. I’m finding myself going back to a lot of basics lately, to both strengthen foundations, as well as find new twists on the familiar.

For example, revisiting major scales with the metronome, and applying new rhythms such as making them all triplets, then starting on different parts of the triplet. Then making cells of reorganized note order, and working it through diatonically in all keys. I make it a point not to use or think of these as patterns, but it makes me hear shapes or ideas on the bandstand that may be somewhat reminiscent. Sometimes they don’t come out exactly the way I heard them in my head, but that’s the exciting thing – they may come out a different way, rhythmically, harmonically or melodically, hopefully resulting in new things to develop, but definitely resulting in fresh things for musical conversation and interaction on the bandstand.

ZS: What current project are you working on?

TR: I’m always working on tour dates for my Nu-Jive band. It’s hard and constant work as I do everything myself for the most part, in addition to my busy sideman schedule. Aside from writing for the next Nu-Jive album, I’ve just finished a very special trio recording which will be released in September 2019.

ZS: What’s your current Setup?

TR:

Saxophones:

• Soprano: Inderbinen Hand Hammered Raw Brass.
• Alto: Silver Plated 1932 Conn Art Deco Transitional.
• Tenor: Sliver Plated 1932 Conn Chu Berry Transitional.

Mouthpieces:

• Soprano: Vandoren V16 S6
• Alto: Vandoren V16 A6 S+
• Tenor: Vandoren V16 T7

Reeds:

• Soprano: Vandoren V16 size 3
• Alto: Vandoren V16 size 3
• Tenor: Vandoren V16 size 3.5

Ligature:

• Soprano: Vandoren MO
• Alto: Vandoren MO
• Tenor: Vandoren MO

Cases:

• Manning Custom Carbon Fiber tenor/soprano combo case
• JL Woodwinds Custom Carbon Fiber tenor case
• JL Woodwinds Custom Carbon Fiber alto case

Neckstrap:

• Jazzlab Saxholder

Website/Contact:

www.TroyRoberts.com

• Facebook.com/TroyRobertsMusic
• Facebook.com/NuJive
• Instagram: @MisterToyRobot

Videos

“Psychoville” (Troy Roberts – Nu Jive Perspective)

“Trams” – Troy Roberts Quartet

The post Sax Star Troy Roberts On the NY Jazz Scene, Music School, and Practicing Technique appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

In my book Easy Easy Bebop, I refer to the lesson below as “the magic of the neck strap”.

The short tip from the book has helped so many players that I decided to give further information on finding the “sweet spot” in the adjustment of one’s saxophone neck strap. As you know neck straps are made adjustable so so as to raise or lower the horn to a comfortable position. Finding the correct position can help the embouchure and tone production.

Setting the length of the strap sub-optimally can cause back and neck pain from slouching and bending while playing. The optimal jaw position, the ability to effectively articulate, and the openness of the airflow require good mouthpiece placement inside of the embouchure.

Lowering the jaw too much to play low notes hinders moving back up the horn smoothly. If a player standing straight and looking forward lowers the horn by lengthening the strap, he can feel the reed and mouthpiece making more contact with the lower lip/teeth. As the player raises the strap they can feel the reed/mouthpiece raise up off the the lower teeth/lips. The higher the strap, the more open and brighter the sound gets.

Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer.

Look at the Charlie Parker pic above, and notice the slight upward tilt of the head from the high neck strap. A very high neck strap just needs a slight upward head adjustment which for most players is much better that a lowering of the head possibly affecting the airflow.

To illustrate the principle, as a more extreme example (which may or may not be considered proper posture, and would definitely take some getting used to in any event), check out the high position of David Sanborn’s horn in the image above. It is likely that part of his signature ultra-bright sound up and down the horn comes from that position on the strap.  

Knowing You’ve Arrived at the “Sweet Spot”

Setting the neck strap at a few different lengths, try the following:

• Hit a low Bb, and while maintaining air flow play high Bb up two octaves.
• Do the reverse, and play from high Bb and drop two octaves to low Bb.

Playing those octaves legato or staccato will be easier with the correct setting of the neck strap’s length, and the resulting position of the horn.

This approach is a good place to start. Once that height is set, octave jumps are much smoother. The “sweet spot” is where there is the least amount of jaw and embouchure movement.

There will always be a feeling of slight adjustment as the horn is played, but fewer movements in the embouchure make for smoother and easier playing. With the right neck strap length, overtones and altissimo notes are much more easily achieved, and your overall tone production is smooth and even from top to bottom, provided you’re playing in a good position with proper air support.

In addition, finding this “sweet spot” this will take some of the horn’s weight off of the right thumb, and avoid the extreme thumb callus which is results from compensating for and overly-long neck strap setting.

Conclusion

To wrap it all up, some saxophonists like the feeling of blowing down into the saxophone, and others like the feeling of blowing up and out of the saxophone. Experiment and find that “sweet spot” neck strap length – you’ll likely be quite surprised by the results.

The post Adjusting Your Saxophone Neck Strap for the Best Possible Sound appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Introduction

This marks my 8^th year attending the annual NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show and it’s pretty remarkable how much the show has grown in attendance year after year. Similar to the 2018 NAMM Show, this year’s show was filled with exhibitors showcasing products new and not-so–new, including saxophones, necks, ligatures, mouthpieces, reeds, neck-straps, cases and the list goes on and on and on.

What was unique about the 2019 NAMM show in comparison to previous shows was a focus on saxophone products geared towards the classical player.

With only four days to see it all, I tried my best to test out as many products as I possibly could, but as anyone who’s ever been to NAMM can tell you, making it to every single exhibitor booth, even for merchants associated with a single instrument, is next-to-impossible.

Here are some of the product highlights from this year’s event, in no particular order.

Balam Back Strap Premium

Since the 2018 NAMM Show when I checked out the Balam Back Strap Classic, Balam has come out with a new Premium strap which I was able to test and further discuss with Jack Finucane (Owner & repairman at Boston Sax Shop). Jack informed me that the Balam Back Strap Premium embodies many of the same features as the Classic but with some nice enhancements as follows:

“The Premium strap features a newly designed harness system that incorporates 4mm of foam padding underneath the bars, making it the most comfortable Balam yet. The overall shape of the harness has also been shortened and reshaped to avoid pressure to the front of the chest when playing heavier saxophones. In addition, the brand new slider features an optional locking mechanism which will prevent the strap from slipping while playing and can be used on soprano, alto, tenor and baritone”

I tried both the Classic and Premium in comparison to the JazzLab Sax Holder. I did prefer the look and feel on the Balam Classic and found the new features on the Balam Premium to be quite nice especially with the new locking mechanism. In terms of alleviating and redistributing the weight of the saxophone, the Balam Premium accomplished this quite well. My one recommendation is to review the instructions for adjusting the strap (see video below with Jack demonstrating). I would like to thank Jack for taking the time to discuss the new features on the Balam Back Strap Premium and if you are further interested in this neckstrap, please check out Jack’s website or visit his shop to further test (see link below).

Jack Discussing the Balam Back Strap Premium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJSHIzPiQ3Q

How to Adjust the Balam Saxophone back strap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB9LUfs2Tag

Boston Sax Shop Ambassador Alto Saxophone Case

In addition to testing out the Balam Back Strap Premium, Jack showed me his new Boston Sax Shop Ambassador alto saxophone case. Jack informed me he has put countless hours working on this case which is designed for saxophonist and built to last. The Boston Sax Shop Ambassador Alto Saxophone Case exhibits the following features:

“The Ambassador case is made from a composite structure and wrapped in a hard wearing automotive interior grade synthetic leather which results in lightweight but very durable case. The hardware is all steel and utilizes a full length piano style hinge as well as four butterfly latches that require a two stage locking operation.” This design ensures that there is no possible way for these latches to open independently avoiding the unwanted and traumatizing instance of your saxophone falling out of the case when you pick it up to leave your gig or rehearsal (unfortunately this has happened to me). The interior of the Ambassador case features a medium firm, memory style foam which guarantee’s a tight and proper fit. When it comes to storing your reeds, mouthpiece, ligatures, and other accessories, there is an YKK zippered exterior pocket that provides ample storage while also keeping the overall size of the case small which is important for getting it into the overhead airline compartments.

Jack informed me he used cushioned double handles on either half of the exterior of the case to ensure that even if you forget to latch the case and you pick it up, it will not open. One final but important feature is, “the Ambassador case includes padded backpack straps with locking carabiners in addition to braided steel wire loops that act as a failsafe for the unlikely event of strap failure.” The Ambassador case will accommodate vintage and modern Selmer’s, Yanagisawa, P Mauriat, Yamaha, the King Super 20 and all Taiwanese “Selmer” style saxophones. Overall, I am very excited about Jack’s Ambassador Case. For me it’s a great combination between a Walt Johnson and Bam Softpak case but with further enhancements that make it an all-around better case. My one piece of feedback to Jack is if he could make the case without the exterior pocket, that would be my preference but I know many saxophone players want to carry everything in one case. The Boston Sax Shop Ambassador alto saxophone case is available for pre-order with the tenor version coming out later this year (can’t wait!).

Ambassador Case

https://www.bostonsaxshop.com/cases/ambassador-alto-sax-case

Falcon Woodwinds Double Ring and Florida Link

(Left: Florida Model Right: Double Ring Link Model)

When I stopped by the International Woodwinds booth, I ran into Eric Falcon who had on display his line of new Falcon Woodwinds Florida and Double Ring Otto Link replica mouthpieces, in addition to the 10mFan line of mouthpieces. Eric informed me that in comparison to many vintage copies on the market today, his Florida and Double Ring replicas are actual copies of an original Florida and Double Ring Link, which Eric and saxophonist Doug Webb went through both of their collections to find the best one. Eric said by leveraging CT scan technology and his hand finishing work, he is able to reproduce an exact copy of these highly sought after vintage Otto Link mouthpieces.

I have played various copies of the original Double Ring and Florida model Otto Link mouthpieces in the past and was excited to see how the Falcon Woodwinds mouthpieces compared. Both Falcon Woodwinds Florida & Double Ring Link models were a good representation of the original vintage Links. I personally preferred the sound characteristics and resistance of the Florida Model over the Double Ring Link. Anyone who is a Link fanatic or has been searching for an original Florida or Double Ring Link should give the Falcon Woodwinds mouthpieces a try. I have included two videos below of Doug Webb test playing both the Florida and Double Ring Models.

Website

https://www.falconwoodwinds.com/

Key Leaves

I have seen and heard about the Key Leaves product but have not had a chance to try it out until now. While attending the last day of the show this year, I ran into Nate Brown who is the president of Key Leaves. Nate was nice enough to demonstrate how the Key Leaves as well as the Vent Vine but I will be focusing on the Key Leaves product.

Nate informed me that the Key Leaves is a durable silicone material that will not harm or scratch your saxophone and is very easy to clean if needed. The Key Leaves was designed to address the key pads G#, Eb and Low C# to air dry and prevent them from sticking (which many of us saxophonists run into this issue unfortunately). I have been using the Key Leaves for the past few weeks and overall and happy with the results. My G# and low C# keys which typically stick no longer do.

I find the Key Leaves product is easy to put on as well as remove and is quite customizable whether you are using it with a modern or vintage saxophone. If you want to prevent your G#, Eb, and low C# pads from sticking, I would recommend using the Key Leaves product. If you would like to find out more information, please see the website link below as well as demonstration video

Website

https://keyleaves.com/

Oleg Products (Sax Enhancers & Maestro Mouthpiece)

Oleg products have been around for over 30 years. When I first started playing the saxophone, I remember that there were far fewer accessory options available than there are today. With that being said, I do remember looking for after-market necks, ligatures, neck-straps, etc. and Oleg being one of the few unique offerings which include such products as the Olegature, saxophone enhancers, necks and neck-straps. Since then, Oleg has introduced his own line of saxophones and saxophone mouthpieces, and continues to make enhancements to his existing products.

This year, I had the opportunity to meet with Oleg and Alan Markowitz (Vice President of Oleg Products) to see what products were new at the booth, and also to revisit some of Oleg’s popular sellers. The Oleg Maestro mouthpiece was one of Oleg’s newest products with the Maestro mouthpiece being designed for players who play jazz and orchestral music.

The Maestro mouthpiece was designed to be easy to play in tune across the entire range of the saxophone, be flexible at various dynamic levels, and to help players produce the best sound possible on his or her current equipment. I took the Maestro metal mouthpiece for a test-play and was overall pleased with the results.

Without too much adjustment from my current setup, the Maestro played well in tune across the entire range of the horn. With that being said, when I went back and forth between my Slant Link and the Maestro, I still preferred my Slant Link based on the resistance level and overall sound.

I would like to revisit the Maestro mouthpiece when it is available in hard rubber as well as test-play a Maestro in a 7 tip opening instead of an 8 tip opening. In addition to the Maestro mouthpiece and Oleg’s line of saxophones, The Olegature and Oleg Pro Sax Enhancers are probably the most popular items Oleg currently offers.

I do recommend that, if you are looking to make some adjustments to the key setup on your current saxophone, I would either talk to your repair tech or try the saxophone enhancers specifically the F-Fork Extension (works great on vintage Selmer’s & saxophones with front F pearl instead of the tear drop design) and Palm Key Risers. I would like to thank Oleg and Alan for taking the time to discuss their product line and excited to see what new products they have in store for the future.

Website

 https://olegproducts.com/

Rampone & Cazzani Solista Saxophone

The Rampone & Cazzani “Solista” is Rampone’s new alto saxophone which is tailored for the classical saxophonist. Rampone is known for making a line of saxophones that is used primarily by jazz musicians. What is unique about the Solista saxophone is the fact that it is made out of copper, which is than gold plated.

When I spoke with Claudio, he informed me the Solista still maintains many of the features from his existing line of saxophones, but they recently made some changes to the treatment of the necks which he believes will further enhance the overall resonance of the saxophone by further stabilizing the sound.

Claudio informed me that they also introduced and are experimenting with a solid silver neck, a copper neck without the gold-plating, and a solid silver neck with the gold plating. I had the opportunity to try the various finishes on the horn and found I liked the standard copper neck with gold plating as well as the solid silver neck with gold plating.

Overall, the sound of the Solista compared to Rampone’s R1 Jazz Saxophones was more focused, with much clarity and warmth to the sound. I found the R1 Jazz saxophone in comparison had more edge to the sound as well as projection. The Solista I believe would work well for jazz as well as any genre of music, but the copper material with gold plating gave the Solista unique qualities that I believe the classical saxophonist will find very attractive.

I want to thank Claudio for taking the time to speak about the Rampone & Cazzani Solista Alto Saxophone and would be interested in test playing a tenor Solista in the future.

Website

http://www.ramponecazzani.com/eng/index.php

Weissenberg Saxophones (Ken Beason Custom Setup) & OC Saxophone Screw & End Plug

While walking around the show this year, I decided to stop by the Weissenberg booth to check out the Weissenberg line of saxophones that were setup by repair technician Ken Beason.

Weissenberg has been producing saxophones since 1989 and has quite an extensive list of different models for soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone. I had a chance to try out the tenor which had Ken’s custom setup with his oversized Beason resonators. This model in particular had a pretty high copper content with an un-lacquered/vintage finish. At first glance this saxophone reminded me of other Taiwanese saxophones at the show in terms of the parts used and aesthetic.

I was impressed overall with the sound, intonation, response, and ergonomicsof the Weissenberg Ken Beason Custom model . What’s nice about this model is since Ken works closely with the Weissenberg team, you have the ability as the player to discuss with Ken what type of sound and setup you are looking for and Ken will work with you to further customize that Weissenberg saxophone so it meets your requirements.

In addition to meeting Ken at the booth, I had the opportunity to speak with Don Trimble, who is the owner of Orange Coast Sax Shop LLC and authorized dealer of Weissenberg saxophones. Don had his own line of custom screws and end plugs for the saxophones at the Weissenberg booth which he allowed me to test play.

The saxophone end plug, although a simple accessory, is important item for traveling because it can protect the octave key pin as well as fill up any open space in the case to prevent less movement. Don’s metal end plugs were nicely machined, and since Don does the machining in-house, he can make a custom end plug for your saxophone and case combination.

We did discuss potentially storing cork grease within the end plug as well as making the end plug adjustable in case you switch to another saxophone case, but that is a discussion for another day. I have seen quite a few saxophone screws from various vendors, so I wanted to see how Don’s equalizer sound screws worked. Don makes these screws out of various combinations of materials and mass to meet the requirements of any player.

I have been pretty skeptical in the past regarding these saxophone screws and if they made a difference in terms of how the horn responds. I tried Don’s equalizer sound screw made out of a few materials (brass, steel, etc.) and did notice a slight difference in how the saxophone responded depending on the material and screw mass.

I believe the screw can make a difference in helping the horn play more evenly, but this experience is different from saxophone to saxophone, and I believe is dependent on having a properly fit neck.

I would like to thank Ken and Don for taking the time to review the Weissenberg saxophones and Don’s equalizer sound screws and end plugs. I believe Don’s screws and end plugs compliment the Weissenberg line of saxophones nicely, and I hope to spend some time later this year revisiting both of these products.

Website

Orange County Sax Shop FB Page

Marmaduke Feather Strap IV Neckstrap

It was great to see Alex Miyatake at 2019 NAMM Show. This year Alex introduced the Marmaduke “Feather” Strap IV. The Feather IV is the newly-designed followup to the “Feather” III Strap which I’ve tested in the past. Unlike its predecessor, the Feather IV has a one-piece construction, shorter bars than the Feather III, and comes with a new wing shape adjuster and fixed brass hook.

The Feather IV neckstrap offered by Marmaduke is my favorite strap of all those that Alex currently offers. I find the Feather IV in comparison to the Feather III uses a more comfortable leather material as is easier to adjust. The larger bar (which I see more and more neck straps leveraging) makes the Feather IV neck strap easy to adjust to the right position, but I did speak with Alex about offering a slightly smaller bar which he is going to shortly.

I want to thank Alex for taking the time to show me the new Feather IV strap. I am sure I will see a Feather V strap at some point and am interested to see what further adjustments or improvements Alex makes to future neck straps.

 Website

Marmaduke Music

AM Mouthpieces African Blackwood 7*

I had the opportunity to check out Arnold Montogomery’s AM mouthpiece lineup at the 2018 NAMM show. This year Arnold introduced the Vintage Series and a new Mystery Material option instead of hard rubber for his Aras, Katana, Luna, and Blue Heron models. In addition, Arnold also had a few African Blackwood tenor mouthpieces to test play.

I tried his new line up of mouthpieces, and particularly enjoyed the African Blackwood tenor mouthpiece in a 7* opening. The African Blackwood Tenor 7* mouthpiece has a moderately high rollover baffle with a medium chamber. In comparison to my Slant Link, I found the AM African Blackwood mouthpiece had a very dark tone in comparison to Arnold’s other models. I found this mouthpiece was quite free-blowing with warmth and clarity to the sound. This is in contrast to the level of projection and edge which I get on my Slant Link.

I have not tried a mouthpiece made out of African Blackwood in quite some time, but would be interested in revisiting this material with mouthpiece specs closer to those of my Slant. The AM African Blackwood had an even scale, but I noticed more color to the sound when pushed in the upper and lower stack on my horn.

I would like to thank Arnold Montgomery for allowing me to test out his lineup of new and existing tenor mouthpieces and if you are in the market for a wooden mouthpiece that plays on the darker side, I would recommend reaching out to Arnold to see if the African Blackwood mouthpiece will be the right fit for you.

Website

https://www.ammouthpieces.com/

ReedGeek Bullet

Since the Classic ReedGeek was introduced (still the tool I use today), Mauro Di Gioia, President and Founder of ReedGeek has expanded his line of products to include the Black Diamond “G4” ReedGeek, DoubleGeek tool, Klangbogen,  ReedGeek Plaque & Gauge Set, and now the ReedGeek “Bullet” which I will be reviewing.

When I spoke with Mauro, he informed me that the Bullet is his newest and most advanced tool to date. The Bullet offers further advances to reed adjustment and maintenance, and most importantly, is the most effective tool for the adjustment of synthetic polymer reeds, both single and double, and traditional cane.

As per their marketing materials, “The Bullet Utilizes diamond-like alloys and exhibits an edge of 94 RC hardness, which is machined to tolerances closer than virtually any reed or woodworking tool on the market today. This is important because it allows double reed players to adjust tip contours to achieve maximum vibration without damaging the reed. With a built-in shank file for burnishing and smoothing, every surface of the Bullet can be used for great efficiency.”

I personally think the Bullet is the best reed tool that ReedGeek is currently offering. I will say, if you have the Classic or G4, these tools will more than handle further adjustments needed to those reeds that are not playing right out of the box. But the Bullet felt most comfortable in terms of handling, and with its further refined material, you can make finer adjustments if needed.

I would like to thank Mauro for showing me the ReedGeek “Bullet” and hope to pick one up later this year to leverage on not just cane but synthetic reeds.

Website

https://www.reedgeek.com/product/reedgeek-doublegeek/ 

Eastman EAS 850DS Alto Saxophone

Since the Eastman 52nd Street line of saxophones were launched and have grown in popularity, I decided to stop by the Eastman Booth to visit Ralph Torres, Direct of Operations at Eastman to see if there was anything new at the booth.

Ralph was excited to show me Eastman’s new EAS 650DS & 850DS alto saxophone. The Eastman two horns are similar, but the EAS 850DS, which I will be discussing today, has unique key touches just to name one of the new features this saxophone offers.

The EAS 850DS was developed with the assistance of the Head of Stringing & Body Making of Wm. S Haynes Co. Flutes, David Schipani. Some unique features offered on the Eastman 850DS are as follows:

• re-designed side keys
• the alternate f# and high f# key placement
• each palm key placed at a different angle for maximum comfort
• left hand pinky table has a rised C# for a smoother transition to the low B and Bb
• uniquely designed octave mechanism
• rounded tone whole cups

…and the list goes on.

The Eastman EAS 850 DS compared to the Eastman 52nd street line of saxophones in terms of sound is focused and dark in comparison to the broader-sounding 52nd Street – which Ralph confirmed was indeed the goal. I found the ergonomics on the Eastman EAS 850 DS to be incredibly comfortable. It boasts a a very even sound throughout the range of the horn, and the intonation was great. Sonically, I found the EAS 850DS maintained a dark, warm, and focused sound which I think both classical players and jazz saxophonists will enjoy.

I want to thank Ralph for taking the time to show me the Eastman EAS 850DS alto saxophone. I am very excited to see how the tenor model turns out and highly recommend you give the Eastman 850 DS alto saxophone a test play.

Links

NAMM 2019 Sax.co.uk. Eastman 850DS saxophone

SYOS (Shape Your Own Sound) Signature Series Mouthpieces

I have reviewed the SYOS (Shape Your Own Sound) mouthpieces in the past, but while visiting their booth at this year’s show, I was able to try out their new SYOS Signature Series of mouthpieces.

The SYOS Signature Series allows you to play the exact same mouthpiece that their lineup of artists play today. While at the booth I was able to test play the SYOS mouthpieces played by Chad Lefkowitz Brown, Dayna Stephens, Tivon Pennicott, Daro Behroozi, Eddie Rich, and the list goes on.

I was hoping that one of these SYOS Signatue mouthpieces would be the right fit for me, but I think that many of us know we are all different. So a mouthpiece, ligature, reed, neck, or saxophone that works for our favorite artists might not necessarily work for us. With that being said, I did find the Eddie Rich model was the best Signature mouthpiece for me. I did see and hear quite a few players at the booth who really liked Tivon & Chad’s Signature SYOS mouthpieces, which was encouraging to see. If the SYOS Signature mouthpieces are not the right fit for you, you always have the option of working with SYOS to make a custom mouthpiece specific to your requirements.

I would like to thank the SYOS team for taking the time to discuss their new Signature series mouthpieces with me and I hope to in the future spend the time to customize a SYOS mouthpieces that suits me.

SYOS Website

https://www.syos.co/en/shop/products/signature-saxophone-mouthpiece

 Honorable mentions

• Cannonball Artist Series: FB Cannonball Artist Series Details
• Silverstein Works 2019 Re-sizable Ligature: Silverstein Works Ligature
• Kim Korea Saxophones: Kim Korea Saxophones Website
• Jody Jazz Super Jet Soprano & Tenor: Jody Jazz Super Jet (S,A,T,B)
• Vandoren Rose Gold M/O ligature for alto, tenor, baritone, and soprano saxophone: Vandoren Pink Gold Ligature
• WestCoast Sax Mouthpieces: WestCoast Sax Website
• Sax Dakota 42(Alto) & 52 (Tenor) saxophones: Sax Dakota New Website

2019 NAMM Video from Saxophonist, Brian “BriansThing” Landau

Final Thoughts

The 2019 NAMM Show was another year filled with exhibitors showcasing their new and existing line up of saxophones, ligatures, mouthpieces, reeds, necks, neck straps, sax stands and the list goes on. Overall, I saw far more enhancements or minor tweaks to existing products than I saw in terms of entirely new products.

Also of note was that this year in particular, the emphasis seemed to be on products for classical saxophonist. With that being said, whether you play classical or jazz, many of they saxophones at the show would work well for both genres in my opinion.

As always, I was not able to visit every booth at the show that I wanted to and spend the amount of time I would have liked to try all of the products that looked interesting and promising. To any of the manufacturers I met at NAMM, if I did not include you in this list, this is not a reflection on your product, it just came down to time.

If you would like me to review your product specifically or have any questions, please feel free to contact me using the information from my author bio below. Again, another great NAMM Show in the books and I can’t wait to see what NAMM 2020 has in store for us saxophonists next year!

The post NAMM 2019 Saxophone Gear Roundup appeared first on Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever..

Photo by Terry Madeley

I know I’m not the only guy out there who loves to futz around the music store, trying the latest gear, wanting to play a different horn or a different mouthpiece, looking for that edge – that mystical “something” in the sound that just gives me that little “extra boost” toward sound nirvana.

But if you’re anything like me, you know how easy it is to slide into a rabbit hole searching for that perfect gizmo that leads to the “holy grail” of the ultimate saxophone setup. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to fall into a trap here, similar to the kind of traps that unwary exercise enthusiasts fall into in their pursuit of the perfect pill that will make everything right.

Don’t get me wrong. In the gym, supplements help. They can make a big difference. But in the end, you’ll never get to the desired result without some sweat. No pill can do all the work for you.

It’s the same with your setup on your sax. Like the gym and the pills, there are wide differences between mouthpieces, reeds and even ligatures that really can make differences in your sound. And some of these differences can be significant. And finding the right setup is important because these real differences can boost your confidence and, therefore, improve the way you play.

If you do your homework and you test new gear the right way, it can definitely get you further in the direction of the ultimate sound. But I have boxes of proof at home – several small boxes filled with mouthpieces, reeds and ligatures – that are a testament to the fact that if finding the exact right mouthpiece, reed or ligature was the whole answer, I could have likely quit looking before filling the first box. Good gear makes a difference. But before you go shopping (again, because you still didn’t find “perfect” the last time) you need to think about a few things.

If you think new gear might help, here are some things to consider.

I’ve written articles elsewhere about things to think about when shopping for new gear. If you’re curious, I’ve shared my thoughts on one of my sites about things to keep in mind when looking for a new mouthpiece or a new ligature. But my thoughts don’t have as much to do with the shape of the baffle in the mouthpiece or the style of ligature so much as they have to do with all the other stuff you need to think about when you’re shopping for new gear.

And quite honestly, a lot of these thoughts have to do with giving you a healthy caution about shopping at all. Here are some things to think about before you run to the music store again when you should perhaps be putting in an extra hour in the shed, trying to get that sound out of what you already have.

Here is a list of things you should keep in mind when you’re considering a search for a new mouthpiece or a different ligature or brand of reed.

1 – Those different mouthpieces and ligatures definitely do (sometimes) make a difference in the sound of the horn.

This is one of those things where opinions differ. Now, I don’t know many who would dispute that the different shape of the opening in the mouthpiece (size of chamber, height of baffle, etc.) make a difference in the sound. That seems pretty much a given.

But I know there are some people out there who swear by that different ligature. And yet, there are others who have videos out there saying that they don’t make any difference in the sound of the horn. My experience is that the differences might be subtle, but they are real. And sometimes, that little bit makes a difference.

Just a word of wisdom here. If one person says there is no difference, and someone else says there is, then give the idea a chance that there might actually be a difference. Red and green might look the same to someone who is color blind. But that doesn’t mean red and green are the same color.

I’ve written quite a lengthy article on ligatures on my site, explaining how different ligatures attempt to hold the reed in different spots. And those differences are important enough that, for some people, it is noticeable. You might notice, too.

2 – Even if you don’t hear a difference, you might feel a difference. And that is sometimes just as important as a difference you hear.

Let me give you an example from personal experience.

I play a Cannonball tenor. I used to have a Buffet Super Dynaction and when I would go to different music stores trying different horns, I kept coming back to the same question: is it really worth it to me to shell out several thousands of dollars for this other horn? When it came to the Cannonball, I played 5 notes on the thing and for me, it was true love. For me, it was different enough that I wanted to shell out for one.

But here’s the thing. When I go to a music store and try a P. Mauriat, I’m often enticed to think about a trade. And the difference for me is not sound so much as feel.

Every time I try a Mauriat, there is this magic thing that happens (with my mouthpiece setup, anyway) with a feel I get. Specifically, I get some back-pressure with the Mauriat. Not everyone likes that. And my Cannonball is free-blowing like putting air through a fire hose. For me, that back-pressure is inspiring, in a way. But it might not appeal to you. You might not even notice it. But it is noticeable enough for me that it made me feel differently about how I played. (There are other reasons I’ve not made a trade yet. But that is for another article.)

The point is that for me, it isn’t a sound difference that I love about the Mauriat. But it’s a feel difference. And it is very real. And if that kind of difference inspires you, it will make you play differently. A subtle but real difference can affect your confidence and how you feel about your playing. And THAT makes you play differently.

3 – The differences might be subtle enough that you’re only going to hear the difference in a side-by-side comparison.

These subtle differences you might discern between mouthpieces or finishes on a horn or the like sometimes make a real net difference in how you play based on how it feels or sounds to you. And the sum of these differences might be worth a switch in what gear you use.

But then again, if you can’t hear or feel the differences without that “side-by-side comparison,” you should ask yourself if it is worth the switch.

Maybe these things are different for me now, as I approach 60 years of age. But years ago, I remember friends going to the stereo shop to listen to a song played on different sets of speakers to try to figure out which ones gave the sound they liked. I thought that was a worthwhile exercise back then.

Now, though, in my later years, I’ve come to realize that if I go to Best Buy and compare two different televisions and need to get up close and personal to the screen to be able to detect the difference in the picture, then it’s not likely worth twice the money (to me) for that subtle difference in the picture that I’ll never miss once I’m watching the black-and-white version of “It’s A Wonderful Life” at home with the grandkids.

But the difference might be important to you. And if you notice the difference, then you have to decide if that difference counts. If people listening don’t hear it, but you do, then how you hear yourself will affect how you feel about your sound. And that will affect how you play. And that might be worth the bucks. But you have to decide.

4 – While you might only detect the difference in a side-by-side comparison, you need to do the side-by-side comparison anyway.

The room you’re testing in will color your sound. And sometimes, the only way you’ll be able to detect the difference between your mouthpiece and that one you think is the magic bullet is to compare them side-by-side in the same room.

The room you’re in affects the sound so much that you might actually not even recognize your mouthpiece in that little room in the music store. It might be a practice room that is so dead you hate the way you sound no matter what you’re playing on. Or, it might be really bright or “reverby.” But unless you compare what you’re hearing to what you are already comfortable with, you might mistake a room difference for a mouthpiece or ligature (or horn) difference.

Play into the center of the room. Play facing a wall. Do it with the new setup and with your current setup for reference. Find the best and worst spots in that room, the best and worst volumes to play in that room. Do it with the new setup and your current setup.

And if you’re dealing with a quality dealer, they might let you take it on a trial basis. If they do, jump on the chance. Take it with you to a setting you’re familiar with. And stick with that dealer. They’re invested in making you happy. That’s worth some money right there. VALUE that relationship.

5 – Don’t neglect all the stuff that isn’t sound-related but is still important.

Does the mouthpiece only come in rainbow colors? Do those colors make you happy or annoy you? Does that ligature hold the reed perfectly but only until you try to move the mouthpiece to adjust for tuning? Does the cap that comes with that ligature have a flat bottom so you can stand it on the table top somewhere, or does it fall over? Is the mouthpiece so expensive you have to mortgage your aquarium to buy one? Is it cheap enough you could by two so you have a spare? Is it hand-finished to the point where it is pretty much “one of a kind?” Is the twin you’re buying for a spare a true twin or an “only close” relative, so that if you switch, it could throw you off in the middle of a gig?

Does that mouthpiece need a patch on top? Did you stock up on those? Did you try that mouthpiece with a fresh reed, or with one you’ve played forever on your old mouthpiece? And if you don’t think that could make a difference, do you realize that, in a way, your reed and mouthpiece get to “know each other” over time?

Is the mouthpiece quirky in any way? I will give you an example of what I’m referring to here. I play on an older version of a Jody Jazz mouthpiece. And although I’ve used others on and off, this one is a piece I’ve gone back to. But I have to watch it. For some reason, a tiny area of my inner lip will often get caught between the mouthpiece and the reed if I don’t get it on there just right. I hate when it happens, but I’ve learned how to set my reed up on this sucker to avoid it. As it turns out, the mouthpiece is slightly narrower on the outside further up the reed, and so I’ve learned that warped reeds which might be forgiving on other mouthpieces will actually give me this trouble on this one.

But I otherwise love the piece. So I stick with the piece and fix or pitch reeds when they won’t get along with my lip any more. The point is, lots of gear has quirks of one kind or another. But the idea is to get to know them and decide if the sound is worth the “bite.”

And it depends partly on quirks you might have. You see, if you’re the guy with only one leg, then you’re the guy who will really always only pay attention to the left shoe. Or the right. But see if anything jumps out at you as you’re trying stuff out. Quirks don’t have to be the end of the game. But they might be a game changer. You decide if it is what you want and what works for you. For you.

I can’t think of a lot of other examples of this, offhand. But test with a tuner. Play the notes and then look at the tuner. See if it goes sharp or flat easily with overblowing or in different ranges. Stuff like that. Does it let you move easily from high to low and still hit the notes in the lower register with ease? (Some mouthpieces will require more change in palate than others going between ranges. How is this mouthpiece, or reed, or ligature?) You get the idea.

6 – Never forget all that affects the sound that isn’t from your setup, but from how you play on that or any other setup.

There is something I don’t often hear brought up when talking about gear, but it is important to think about. Because if this is an issue for you and you don’t know it, you might end up with more than three small boxes of mouthpieces like I did before you realize why you wasted so much money.

Here, then, is the question: the important question you need to ask yourself is: “do I like my style?” That might seem like a funny question to think about when you’re evaluating your sound. But you might want to give some serious consideration to the real issue that you might be dealing with. Perhaps you don’t like what you sound like, no matter the gear, but it doesn’t have to do with tone so much as style.

I know that over the years, I’ve had to do a good hard re-think on my playing to realize that there are so many aspects to my sound that didn’t have as much to do with tone as they did with how sloppy my fingerings were, or how much I scooped (ad infinitum, ad nauseum). I had to take an honest evaluation of how often I played the same accents in my playing, or the same runs. Part of the problem I had was I was tired of hearing me. I had to change how I played and when I did, my gear started to “sound better.”

Maybe you’ve been here before. You find this amazing mouthpiece and it really gives you more of exactly that kind of difference in your sound you think you’ve been looking for. But after you’re playing that new piece for a while, you’re comparing it to what you were using before. You’re just not sure now. You go to the closet and pull out “the box.” You swap between the new piece you thought was the solution to your sound problem and the one you left behind in order to commit to the new one. And now here you are, once again, torn between two lovers.

And then, what’s even worse: you hear Jeff Kashiwa, or Euge Groove, or God help us all, Kirk Whalum, and wham! You hate the way you sound again, even with that new mouthpiece.

Maybe it’s not the sound, brother. Maybe it’s the way you play. Salt and sugar cover a multitude of sins in a bad kitchen. But every once in a while, when you eat at Ruth’s Chris or Hell’s Kitchen in NYC, then if you know anything about cooking at all, you know if your own cooking is not up to par.

Ditch the salt and sugar as the cure-all to everything. Learn to cook.

It’s the same with your playing. Do the hard work of listening to your style and seeing what in there is good and what you want to make different.

And when you’re evaluating the mouthpiece or the ligature, focus on the sound difference for what it is: it is only a part of the whole package.

7 – Don’t underestimate the reality that, in the end, your palate and the shape of your oral cavity affects your sound. And it will mark any gear you use with the marks of your unique “soundprint.”

My “go-to” guy to use as an example for saxophone sound is Kirk Whalum. There are a lot of amazing players out there. For me, Kirk Whalum is an outstanding saxophonist, and for me, most notably for his sound. He has this distinctive sound that I’ve often tried to emulate but have never been able to duplicate. Now, I’ve chased after his setup. I’ve tried to duplicate his hardware to get that sound. But it ain’t never ever happened for me.

What’s curious to me is that I’m aware he has changed his setup over the years. But he always still sounds like “Kirk.”

You see, like it or not, part of what shapes your sound is those unchangeable features built into your face and into your head, like the shape of your palate, your teeth, the size of your oral cavity and how your jaw moves. And if you don’t realize that at first, you need to accept it as a reality. (If you don’t believe that, then think for a minute about how you effectively get the low notes and hit the altissimo more easily as you shape your oral cavity by how you shape your tongue. If changing the location of your tongue affects these things, then just realize it affects other components of the sound, too. Like it or not, to some extent, so does the rest of your mouth.)

The bottom line is, for better or for worse, to some extent, you are uniquely engineered to sound at least a wee little bit “unique” on that horn or any other. So you better learn to love that part of the sound that is you. Because your oral cavity is the only one you will ever get to use when you play.

And now for one last point.

8 – You don’t have to be married to your gear.

Perhaps a change is good and necessary. But like any good long-term relationship, you have to get past the first several dates and maybe even a fight or two to get to that place where you really get to know a person.

I say this because it is easy to hear something you like in that back room at the music store where you’re testing something out, but you don’t realize in the moment why you liked what you heard. Sometimes, you have to live with that new mouthpiece or ligature for a while to understand what quirks come with that new sound that wowed you.

I tried a piece last time I was in New York city at one of the many shops that does some excellent work in our saxophone universe. I purchased it, on a whim, on the prompting of my wife, who figured I should get myself a new toy. But it wasn’t until I got that sucker home that I discovered how to make it work for me. I didn’t think I liked the sound of it at first. But both my wife and the guy in the shop heard some of that “Kirk Whalum” grail I was after…

The funny thing is, though, I’ve come to realize that it’s a great piece for me for studio, but not so great for playing live. For some reason, this particular mouthpiece is very touchy for intonation. I find that if I’m playing it loud, it has a tendency to go flat. And I didn’t know it until I heard it on playback in a recording of a live gig. (Talk about embarrassing.) And so I realize that I love the sound of it, but I need to be in the right setting to really hear what I’m putting out so I don’t embarrass myself. Otherwise, I won’t use it live.

The point is that every mouthpiece is going to be a combination of qualities you like and things you maybe don’t like that come with it. But you might not find those things you don’t like until you’ve taken it through the loud and the soft, the high and the low, the altissimo, the studio and the stage.

And every piece is going to have consequences that go with the gains you bought it for. So learn that mouthpiece or that reed or that ligature.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about spending hours to catalog the quirks. You don’t have to make getting to know your hardware a new project or anything. But be aware that every piece has tradeoffs that come with the qualities you like. Give it time for you to be comfortable with that setup. Learn what that setup will do to you in different situations. And once you’ve found the good and the bad, commit to make to most of the quirks. Decide that the things you love, you love so much that you know the juice is worth the squeeze.

The bottom line…

Get a rough idea of what you’re looking for. Go look for it. And if you try gear that you think should get you there, live with it for a while. Get used to it. And in the end, realize that the perfect setup isn’t a substitute for the woodshed. It should be seen as an easier way to get the wood chopped better.

A sharper axe always helps. But you still have to learn to swing it.

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