Kenny G – he’s the most commercially successful sax player of all time, so of course, folks are going to hate on him. Pat Metheny is going to criticize his intonation. College music students will burn his effigy. But to all of you haters out there, I think it’s about time that you enjoyed a healthy dose [read 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…]
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…]
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 [read more…]
I know that this brilliant video by sax player Allen Mezquida has been out for a while, but I still wanted to feature it here in case anyone missed it. What I love about it is not only is the animation awesome, but the saxophone playing is great. Amazing to know that Allen was responsible [read more…]
Blues and the Bent Side Key By Jeff Driskill I came across this video the other day and was totally blown away. The video is by Los Angeles saxophonist Jeff Driskill, who’s played with some of the best jazz groups in L.A. including Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, Chris Walden, Bob Florence, The John Daversa [read more…]