The cover art for The Saxophone Cartel’s CD, titled Caught in the Act, made me chuckle. While perhaps not the best in album art, it is certainly arresting. 😉
Source: amazon.com
The CD was released in 2006, and is currently available on Amazon. The Saxophone Cartel was the project of PhD student Benjamin Himpel. He was in the States from Germany doing his studies.
Benjamin has since returned to Germany, and I don’t know what has happened to the Cartel recently. I’m not sure if it disbanded, or if it is still performing.
In any event, there are some videos on YouTube of The Saxophone Cartel performing in Bloomington, IN, in 2004. This piece is called Don’t Look Back, and was composed by Benjamin Himpel.
…this is just my blog. My “real” website is www.bassic-sax.info. If you’re looking for sax info, you should check it out too.There’s lots there!
I am doing okay. In view of my limited time, my focus is on a piano-saxophone duo with Simon Eskildsen, a fantastic young pianist studying at the conservatory in Aarhus, with whom I am in the process of making a recording. Here is an excerpt.
Unfortunately, I haven’t played my bass a whole lot. To me, it makes most sense in a wind ensemble setting, and unfortunately, I haven’t found a suitable group of wind players in Bonn or in Aarhus, Denmark (my current location), up for this challenge. Every once in a while I play with a saxophone ensemble in Berlin. Hopefully I will be able to hook up and play with the reincarnations of the Sax Cartel in the near future, because I will be in NYC for a few days in January, but I won’t bring my bass along with me.
Schöne Grüße aus Aarhus…
I like that recording of Yesterdays Benjamin. Let me know when your recording is done. I’d like to get a copy. Wonderful playing, on both your and Simon’s parts. He would be a pleasure to work with. You are very fortunate to have found him.
I do hope you manage to reincarnate the Sax Cartel—even if it has a different name—I know what it’s like not to have an outlet to play the bass regularly. I really miss playing mine in a band all the time.
Be well, and best wishes for the holidays…helen
When trying to figure out what my former pet the Saxophone Cartel is up to, I stumbled over this.
From 2005 until a couple of months ago the Sax Cartel lived and performed in New York City (without me), unfortunately, they became too diverse in their musical interests and wanted to go separate ways. As a result they took down their websites. Most likely there will be two off-springs in the future. Michael Eaton (cofounder of the original Saxophone Cartel) created a new all saxophone group with NYC musicians, but doesn’t have a name for it yet. They will give their first concert in December.
BTW here is probably the latest youtube video of the late Saxophone Cartel (bad audio quality)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–MbRXe6MjA
Hi Ben.
How are you doing?
Thanks for the update on the Cartel.
What are you doing now musically? Are you playing in a saxophone ensemble? Do you get to play your bass much?
Wo in Deutschland wohnst du jetzt Ben?