The other day I did a massive update of the Stencil Saxophones Names & Links page on my website, because for the last 10 months—I can’t believe that I first created that chart nearly a year ago!—I have been collecting saxophone stencil names by the dozens, and adding them to …
Over the years I have written numerous articles illustrating how the saxophone’s iconic image is used in everything from advertising to high art. Well today’s example of saxophone imagery is nothing short of exploitation. Yesterday while browsing eBay I happened across something I hadn’t seen before: sax-shaped metal tobacco and …
Well my Olds Super has a new mouthpiece that allows me to not only play in tune over the horn’s entire range, but allows me to use ANY kind of reed—yes, including my favourite Légère Signature Series. What am I using? A Claude Lakey Original Tenor 5*3, along with the …
A few weeks ago a SOTW Facebook discussion degenerated into middle school-level conversation, after someone posted the following vintage photo. Now let me state upfront that I know nothing about this photo’s backstory. This of course leaves me with a boat-load of unanswered questions. Questions such as: When was this …
I just spent what seems like weeks, but was in fact only a few days, totally redoing the Hohner President page on my website. Since I first wrote the page seven or so years ago, I have spent hours pouring over thousands of Hohner President saxophone images. I’ve seen altos; …
As a saxophone player the opportunity doesn’t present itself very often to perform with a symphony. Last weekend I got to do just that as Canada’s Beatles tribute act performed live with the Chilliwack Metropolitan Orchestra—the CMO—at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre. The Fab Fourever are an accomplished group of performers …
A couple of weeks ago I uploaded two new resources to my website. Under the category of B&S’s modern saxes, I scanned a Medusa saxophone brochure, as well as a B&S Medusa dealer prospectus. The two resources add a further layer to what is arguably the most comprehensive B&S informational …
I have been using premium synthetic reeds exclusively since 1998. Why? Simply put, because I double in most bands that I play in, and can’t be worried about getting my reed wet before putting the sax or clarinet to my lips and blowing my first note. This is especially true …
And the bugs just keep on coming… No, this time I’m not talking about colds and flus, but rather software bugs that silently but incessantly seem to creep into software whenever you least expect it, and result in a clusterfuck of epic proportions. Around a week ago I wrote about …
Since I have gotten sick from shaking hands with people and then assembling my horn in the past, you could say that I’ve learned from my mistakes. I offer up the following for your consideration. Unless you live in the southern hemisphere, winter is not even half over. This …