Later today I will be on my way to Las Vegas for a friend's wedding. I am not looking forward to being on an airplane. I don't like to fly and I try to avoid it at all cost. My friend, A, really wanted me to be at her wedding. She even offered to pay … Continue reading My First Performance
Even if I SUCK! It is because I am using this site as a kind of accountability tool. It helps me to keep practicing, especially when I post something where I really sound like an amateur (which may be all of them). So it is not to say to you the reader, Hey listen to … Continue reading Why I Post Recordings of Myself
Before joining the Navy I wanted to be a jazz composer. Somehow the Navy changed that direction. Anyway, this is a song I wrote, while still in high school actually, was for a girl. I hadn't even met her yet. She was going to the college I was headed to. Her name was Joyce. We … Continue reading A Song For Joyce
Here is a little something I was fooling around with. Might make a pretty good song some day. I call it, "Here With Us."
A person's gift will make room for them, and bring them before important people (Prov 18:16 my paraphrase). I was listening to an interview that Kirk Whalum gave at Loyola University Forum. He talked about something that I have been thinking about a lot lately; this gift of musical talent that he and I and many … Continue reading Mastering your Gifts
https://soundcloud.com/tony-lovette-tate/helen-on-my-mind My Mom is always on my mind. These notes remind me of her.
Scales Necessary for Improvisation Scales? I remember when I was in high school, learning scales was the last thing on my mind. I would only learn the ones that were required for all-district band tryouts, and subsequent competitions. My junior year in high school we got new band directors; two sax players and one trombone … Continue reading Scales
Got a new Vandoren mouthpiece today. I posted earlier in the day about it. This just me messing around with it a little more. You can tell I'm pretty out of shape. I will get better as I continue to practice. So keep coming by to see what I'm doing.
I just got a new mouthpiece in the mail today. It is the Vandoren V16 T9. I found out that it is one of the mouthpieces that Kirk Whalum uses. And if you haven't heard Kirk play the tenor sax, you have failed to treat yourself to some great sax playing. Here I'm just messing … Continue reading Checking out Mouthpieces
I have had my new Tenor Sax for about a month now. I have been practicing about every other day or so. I have been working on scales, some long tones, and doing a little bit of jazz improvisation. It is happening slowly but the muscles of my embouchure are strengthening. I am no longer … Continue reading Trying to Get into Sax Shape
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