After a couple of years of trying new mouthpieces, I have come to the conclusion that the Vandoren V16 hard rubber mouthpiece is the best mouthpiece I have in my arsenal. It is the one that gives me the least resistance. I am closer to the truest tenor sound with this mouthpiece than any other … Continue reading Mouthpieces I Use
https://youtu.be/eF6ZEkdTe2Y David Sanborn has been one of my favorite saxophone players from the beginning. In fact, he was my first. I was in high school the first time I heard him play. Unfortunately, I have never heard him perform live. My first exposure was a recording of him performing with Randy Crawford at the Montreux … Continue reading David Sanborn
https://youtu.be/DCxTNxK9dvY This used to be a popular song by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. It was released in 1942, the year my mom was born. I'm not sure if my mom knew it though. She liked a lot of great music. I didn't discover tunes like this until I was in college. Only … Continue reading There Will Never Be Another You
This week I want to try out some other reeds. For more than 29 years now, I have been using Vandoren Java reeds; both the red and green boxes. Lately, I haven’t been getting as many playable, right out of the box, reeds as I would like. That does not mean I don’t get to … Continue reading Exploring Other Reed Options
I am forever trying new mouthpieces, reeds, saxophone necks, sax harnesses, etc. Am I really in need of these items? Not really. For the most part, I am satisfied with 99% of the equipment I have for my tenor sax. It boils down to this; I like trying out new stuff! So, here I am … Continue reading A Mouthpiece Comparison
I'm still not practicing every day. However, I have been getting 3 to 4 days a week for several hours. Despite not being able to practice every day, and I am improving. I have noticed some of my old muscle memory is coming back. Some muscle memory is good, and some I need to try … Continue reading Sweet Progress
Angel Eyes is one of my favorite songs. It is a great ballad, written by, Earl Brent and Matt Dennis in 1946. It has been recorded by many artists over the years. It is a bluesy ballad with lots of room to get your improvisation groove on. However, today I am just posting a very … Continue reading Angel Eyes
https://youtu.be/IbwVkJNUIPk Sorry, there is no video of me playing this time. You can tell it is me because I miss the 2nd note in the tune. I've been practicing this song for several days now, and I don't really play it that well yet. Days of Wine And Roses is a great song. I have … Continue reading Days of Wine And Roses
https://videopress.com/v/o0ZPWm2s?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true I have had the Drake NY Jazz mouthpiece for nearly two years. It has only been a few times I've been able to produce a good sound. Lately, maybe because a stronger embouchure, I have been getting better results. Other factors include reed choice. Usually, I play on Vandoren Javas 2-1/2, red box. With … Continue reading My Drake Mouthpiece
So, I really need to start practicing correctly and learn some things. I sound like a complete amateur most of the time. On the other hand, my tenor sound is really coming along by playing the horn regularly. At this point, I have multiple mouthpieces; 2 Vandoren v16 metal mouthpieces t8 and t9, the hard … Continue reading A Sound Development
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