A Weekend Filled With Music & Friends

Before I developed my neuro problem my weekends were always filled with music, because I was generally working Thursdays through Sundays with 1 or more of the 3 bands I was in. Now however, it’s all I can do to suck it up to play with Deception.

Deception hosted a dance over the weekend at Straiton Hall. I haven’t talked to the organizers yet, but based on the people on the dance floor, and the number of people I saw at tables and milling around, I’d say we were pretty damn close to a sell out.

I had some very special friends come out and see us this weekend, but perhaps none were as special as my first saxophone teacher, Kenton Kuusela, and his wife Wendy. Kenton was my junior high band teacher, but he is first and foremost a saxophone player.

Because I was really keen and dedicated to learning how to play, I was lucky enough to get to take lessons with him. Kenton gave up some of his free time to give me regular lessons during the noon hour.

Kenton is a wonderful jazz player, and I learned so much from him during my 2½ years under his guidance, that to this day you can still hear his influence in my style of play. Although I’ve gone on to study first classical and then rock with other profs and teachers since, I still have all those early jazz lessons strongly entrenched under my fingers. When Deception does a slow blues ballad, you can really hear my jazz style just below the surface.

One the morning of the show, my Zephyr first got a once-over to prevent any keys from sticking.

     Photo by H. Kahlke

During the dance the Zeph certainly got a workout. The sax certainly isn’t a wall flower in Deception.

     Photo by M. Margison

Most of the time I tend to not look up,especially when stage lights are pointed right at me. In this shot, I must have noticed some kind of movement right in front of the stage.

I was asked after the show by one of the attendees, why I don’t polish my horn. Wow, talk about a loaded question. That could get into the whole finish/tone thing couldn’t it?

     Photo by M. Margison

On Sunday Kenton and his wife came over for lunch, and he brought his 1967 Mark VI that he has had since new. I played my 1972 Mark VI that I’ve had since 1981, and we compared the horns side by side. 

In a shoot out with the same mouthpiece/reed/lig set up, these 2 horns are almost identical. Mine is perhaps a tad brighter. However, I have the Selmer Series II style metal resos in mine, so that might make a bit of difference. Bottom line, Kenton thought the same thing that everyone else who has played my tenor has thought: it is a really nice VI.  

     Photo by M. Margison

Kenton also gave my Buescher bass a try. I decided to take this opportunity to check for leaks. 😉

     Photo by M. Margison

Yup, I found it! Who needs a leak light?

     Photo by M. Margison

Although this was busy and tiring weekend for me, it was also a great one. It made me feel more like a regular person again, rather than Dr. D’s neuro or more recently Dr. Q’s dental patient.