My nearly three decades of musical performance experience and also my long career as an instructor of clarinet and saxophone have taught me a lot about what it takes to develop raw talent into a refined and polished musician. Both my own personal development and...
The very first jazz clarinet solo to capture my attention was an Art Pepper solo on Duke Ellington’s composition In A Mellow Tone, on a recording called Goin’ Home (Galaxy GXY 5143, 1982). Art duets on this entire recording with Mr. Beautiful, pianist George Cables. ...
This post first appeared several years ago on my old website. I have updated it here and rewritten it slightly. Please look for future posts about both Lee Konitz and his saxophone soul mate Warne Marsh. Lee Konitz -Billie’s Bounce solo from Very Cool, Verve 1958 For over...
Bobby Keys played a really mean saxophone, and left one heck of a legacy as a rock and roll saxophone player. An original and committed rock musician, he is best known for his work with seminal rock legends The Rolling Stones. I recently read his...
Reeds have to be the most frustrating and aggravating part of playing clarinet and saxophone. Ask any professional player and they will go on for hours about this topic. To save you both time and aggravation, let’s talk a little bit about how to manage...
I get a lot of questions about Clarinet and Saxophone Care, Maintenance and Repair. There are a lot of contradictory theories and answers out there. What follows is my opinion. Take this with a grain of salt. Figure out what works best for you…. Let’s start...
Nine Qualities To Look For In A Great Private Music Instructor I’ve had a lot of music lessons in my life. Both classical and jazz, in classrooms and privately one on one, and on the bandstand. I’ve had many years to study what goes into the...