Introduction After having a chance to compare the Claude Lakey Compass ligature to my current setup (Marc Jean ligature) at the 2015 NAMM Show, I asked John Morrison, president of Claude Lakey, if I could spend some more time test-playing this ligature to see how it compares to other ligatures I have played in the [read more…]
Background There has been a lot of buzz around jazz saxophonist Krzysztof Urbanski. Krzysztof has participated in many jazz festivals, concerts, and competitions where he has consistently been awarded 1st place for his musical ability. Most recently Krzysztof became a Julius Keilwerth artist after placing 1st in the 2013 Saxophone Idol International Competition in Chicago, [read more…]
Regardless of your horn, mouthpiece, or reed, the truth is, to the outside listener, you sound pretty much like...you. It's not that gear doesn't affect your sound at all, but your biggest and richest sound will only come by developing the skills within both your body and mind to sound great on any setup.
So if you're willing to move beyond having your day ruined by a lousy reed, then sax legend David Liebman's course, Ultimate Guide to Saxophone Sound Production is where you're going to want to go next.
Broken down into bite-sized lessons, this streaming video program covers just about every single aspect of saxophone sound production. It represents his entire life's work teaching the techniques and concepts that were handed down to masters such as Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, and Harvey Pittel (among many others), and then refined over the course of decades teaching countless lessons and masterclasses worldwide. Click below to see for yourself why so many professional saxophonists consider David's thorough, methodical, and practical approach the "real deal" for players at any level.
SAXOPHONETONE.COM
The Ultimate Guide to Saxophone Sound Production
I purchased the ReedGeek last year after its creator, Mauro, showed me some basic tips how to improve a reed that was not responding to my satisfaction. This year, Mauro showed me the new ReedGeek which is called the ReedGeek “Universal” G3 which has a titatinum-cermicoat so you do not have to polish or sharpen this ReedGeek over time.
Throughout 2014, I saw more and more players using this SAXWORKS Ligature, and the overall response has been great. This year, I was able to meet with its creator, Joel Harrison. This lig, like the Compass by Claude Lakey, is designed to fit most common saxophone and clarinet mouthpieces.
As was the case with the 2014 NAMM show, (in case you’re new to the term,”NAMM” stands for North American Music Merchandisers), the 2015 NAMM show was yet another year filled with some great new products ranging from saxophones to mouthpieces to ligatures, and more.
Introduction Justin Robinson was born in Manhattan and first began playing saxophone at the age of 13. Justin attended the High School of Music and Arts (LaGuardia High School) in New York and cited his major influences were Charlie Parker and Jackie McLean. Throughout his career thus far, Justin has performed with artists such as [read more…]
When you think of great saxophone players, who comes to mind – Coltrane? Parker? Brecker? All great, to be sure. But there are other wonderful musicians worthy of your exploration. Here are 3 that I came across simply by happy accident. One via a late night DJ, the 2nd having a chance to meet, and [read more…]
Introduction I have seen more and more players using the ReedGeek to work on reeds that are not performing to their standards. Before the ReedGeek, I used to use various grits of sandpaper to work on my reeds which sometimes worked but other times I ended up destroying the reed or sanding the reed down [read more…]
UPDATE: Since the publication of this article, it appears as though the product is no longer available, as the company website seems to be gone and I can’t find any other websites for this manufacturer. If anyone reading this knows of a new website for this company, please feel free to share it in the [read more…]
If you don’t yet know about sax monster Walter Smith III, that needs to change – right now. He’s played with the likes of Terence Blanchard, Eric Harland, Roy Haynes, Eric Reed, Mulgrew Miller, Joe Lovano, Walter Beasley, Terri Lynne Carrington and Christian McBride, to name just a few. He’s recorded as a leader as well, with [read more…]
Tips and Techniques from the pros PLUS free access to the Sax Lessons with the Stars archive - 10 years worth of interviews and exercises featuring the likes of David Liebman, Bob Mintzer, Ben Wendel, Bob Reynolds, and many more!
