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Podcast: Sam Sadigursky on Career, Doubling, the Creative Process, and More

Podcast: Sam Sadigursky on Career, Doubling, the Creative Process, and More

In this week’s podcast, we speak with saxophonist, multi-reedist, composer and recording artist Sam Sadigursky. Sam’s played and recorded with artists as diverse as Ray Brown and Brad Mehldau. He is the winner of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, the NFAA/IAJE Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship, and the John Coltrane Young Artist Award. Currently residing [...]

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John Coltrane on Practicing, Improvisation, Favorite Albums, and More

John Coltrane on Practicing, Improvisation, Favorite Albums, and More

There’s little I can say about John Coltrane that hasn’t already been said. But one thing that I don’t hear that often is what Coltrane said about himself. After doing some poking around on the web, I can across this vibey Austin Powers-era interview with the man himself and a less-than-lovable interviewer. At any rate, [...]

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Happy Thanksgiving to my Sax-cateers!

Happy Thanksgiving to my Sax-cateers!

For those of my compadres living in lands where the holiday of Thanksgiving is celebrated, and even those of you who aren’t, I just wanted to send my warmest thoughts for a safe and happy Turkey Day. As for me, I’ll be heading out to the ever-festive town of Palm Springs, California. So you’ll be [...]

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Do You Play Out of Tune?

Do You Play Out of Tune?

It’s one of the key factors that separates the pros from the amateurs. It’s the reason I call American Idol The Intonation Olympics, since it’s the intonation factor which so drastically affects whether or not the singer will manage to touch the viewers’ hearts. It doesn’t matter whether you sing or play an instrument, but [...]

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Mind-Melting Chris Potter Acapella Performance

Mind-Melting Chris Potter Acapella Performance

Every once in a while I come across a video that’s so amazing and inspiring that I just have to share it. This video of Chris Potter playing Charlie Parker’s confirmation sans accompaniment is more certainly one of those videos. The video is actually a part of a masterclass DVD series sold by Roberto’s Winds, and [...]

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How to Play Fast and Clean

How to Play Fast and Clean

One of the hallmarks of any professional musician is the clarity and evenness of the individual notes they play as part of a note-packed passage of music, such as a 16th or 32nd note run. I recently came across a helpful discovery in this area while practicing my chromatic scale. Cleanliness is Next to Godliness [...]

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Are You Playing the Right Instrument?

Are You Playing the Right Instrument?

I just got done doing an amazing in-depth interview with the multi-gifted New York saxophonist, composer, and mouthpiece refacer Adam Niewood for our podcast (aka Best. Saxophone. Podcast. Ever.). Among the things that struck me over the course of the interview was Adam’s description of a major turning point in his musical journey. You see, the [...]

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The Ten Best Saxophone Books Ever

The Ten Best Saxophone Books Ever

Over the last few decades as a player, composer, and educator with an insatiable hunger for new material to work on, I’ve amassed an extensive library of books for saxophone. Despite owning many of the countless books on the market now, there are very few books that I’ve found myself coming back to over and [...]

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