Adam Niewood Talks Music Schools, Mouthpieces, Playing with the Heavyweights, and More

This week’s Best. Saxophone. Podcast. Ever. features highly renown Manhattan-based jazz saxophonist, multi-reedist, electronic wind instrument player, composer, and drummer Adam Niewood. Adam hails from an incredibly musical family, with his father being the late great saxophonist, woodwind doubler, and composer Gerry Niewood and mother, Gurly, a classical clarinetist and pianist. Adam’s carried on the family [read more…]

The Week In Saxophone: Dec 10, 2010

Your weekly sampling of some of this past week’s saxophone-related news: Jazz Saxophonist James Moody Dies Jazz saxophone giant James Moody has died at 85 A jazz giant passes: James Moody, 1925-2010 Us Five saxman Joe Lovano tackles Charlie Parker’s “Bird Songs” [Sorry(!), but this web page has disappeared since the original publication of this article] [read more…]

Easily Create Your Own Fingering Chart

Now this is something cool. This week I came across an amazing resource for anyone who needs to create a fingering chart for any of the woodwinds. Ya know, if you’re working on lessons for students or even writing your own instructional book or e-book. Woodwind performer and educator Bret Pimentel conceived and actually developed [read more…]

Do You Need a Mouthpiece Patch?

As saxophone players, it’s clear that nothing occupies our thoughts on a daily basis more than the question, “Should I be using a mouthpiece patch or not?” OK, I kid, but it is an interesting topic to look into as anything that can affect the “signal chain” of body to bell is something to be [read more…]

The Week In Saxophone: Dec 3, 2010

Your weekly sampling of some of this past week’s saxophone-related news: Supreme Saxophonist (Kirk Whalum) Matana Roberts on The Alone Saxophone Wayne Shorter Quartet in Concert Jazz Saxophonist Dave Koz embraces change with a new album Classical Books for Sax Sax great Charles McPherson a dizzying treat Stan Getz: Anniversary! (1987) [Sorry(!), but this web page [read more…]

The Organic Practice Rotation

This guest post is from Randy Hunter of RandyHunterJazz.com. I am often approached by saxophonists looking for the best way to organize their practice routines. The questions come in many different forms, but always boil down to the issues of what should be practiced and how should it be prioritized. Of course, the answer is [read 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 [read 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, [read more…]

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 [read more…]

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 [read more…]

Sax Tips and Techniques Newsletter

ALSO INCLUDED WITH SIGNUP: FREE Access to Sax Lessons with the Stars archive of lesson-style interviews and exercises featuring David Liebman, Bob Mintzer, Ben Wendel, Bob Reynolds, David Binney, Rick Margitza, and many more!