Skip’s Blog Entry 3/11/08

It seems too much time passes for all of us between these blogs. Although I set out to write a new blog only weeks or a month apart, time permits only one per season as of late. Late Summer and mid Fall marked the last two entries to my blog and this one comes on the heels of Winter.

As usual, much has transpired in the past couple months. There are new reviews of the DiBlasio/Betz Project, Tipbook for Saxophone and Marsha Heydt’s inaugural Cd release. On a more personal note, it has been a pleasure to find myself in the studio more than usual. There’s lots to tell so read on…

I do spend a considerable amount of time in The SaxShed Studio playing and recording my own stuff throughout the year. Those familiar with Saxophone Journal or this blog are well aware of my contributions to the magazine. The March/April 2008 issue of SJ features my 5th effort, which is a masterclass Cd on contemporary jazz saxophone playing. Four of my own tunes are featured and offered for play-along.

Prior to the holidays I found myself recording for three local projects featuring some of the best talents of Atlantic City and Philadelphia. Billy Ruth, a Philadelphia legend in his own right, has finally recorded his own Cd. Secondly; The Ed Vezinho/Jim Ward Big Band has recorded their 3rd big band Cd entitled With Friends Like These. Lastly, Mitch Rosenberg has been working on his first release Songs for the Heart. Mitch is a local cardiologist with a passion for jazz and it was a pleasure to be involved with this grass roots project as well.

Over the years I have worked with Billy Ruth on various live gigs in Philadelphia. Most often it has been with baritone saxophonist Joe Sudler’s Big Band. One of the most memorable gigs with Billy was about 7 years ago at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Billy and a band from Philadelphia were sent up to Foxwoods for a Sopranos Party. This high-roller party was hosted by the casino and the theme was the HBO hit The Sopranos. There were two huge screens to the left and right of the stage showing clips of the first two seasons. Among those in the crowd were the actors who played Tony Soprano, Paulie Walnuts, Dr. Melfie and the rest. We, in the band, had the honor of having our pics taken with the cast. At the time it didn’t seem that special, as I had never seen the show. In hindsight I can tell you that the picture of the band among James Gandolfini and the rest is proudly displayed in my teaching studio. More recently, I was asked to play tenor and baritone on Billy Ruth’s Cd featuring his smooth Sinatra-influenced sound. I had the pleasure of working in the studio with Ron Kerber, Denis Wasko and Paul Arbogast in the horn section. The tracks I heard in the booth following the session were swingin’! I look forward to hearing the final product and possibly offering a review here on ss.com.

Over the past 15 years or so I have been an adjunct member of the saxophone section in the Ed Vezinho/Jim Ward Big Band. Mike Pedicin (reviewed here at ss.com) and John Guida have been long-time tenor men in this ensemble and I would sub on the band when needed. The band has featured my good friend and trumpeter Rick Kerber as well as many local legends in the music business. Although I’ve played many live performances with the band, I’ve never had the pleasure of recording with the band – until now. The Cd With Friends Like These features the regular band along with Friends Ron Kerber, Larry McKenna, George Rabbi, Dr. Bob Rawlins and even yours truly. I am honored to be added among Ed and Jim’s Friends. I look forward to the release of this Cd and review as well.

Sometimes the passion those have for music is overshadowed by other practical endeavors. Mitch Rosenberg is an example of one of these passionate musicians. Mitch is a successful cardiologist in Southern New Jersey. Last year he celebrated his 50th birthday among friends and family at his beautiful home outside Philadelphia. I was a member of a jazz quartet hired to play some background music for his party. The gig in itself was not unusual with the exception that we were asked to play some of the host’s original music. We played some nice jazz outdoors on a beautiful early Spring day and that seemed the end of the story. It was not. Months, almost a year later I heard that Mitch was now producing his own jazz Cd featuring these same compositions. The process of overdubbing and editing this project continues to this day. I look forward to Mitch’s release and hearing our contribution to his compositions.

Looking ahead, Sal Lozano, Ernie Watts and Eric Darius will all be featured interviews in Saxophone Journal. A short “teaser” will be posted here when available. Interested readers will have to wait for the magazine articles to be published for the whole story.

Well, that’s it for now. Until next time I will be working on my sound, time and ability to teach to others. Lastly, let me not forget this: I am blessed with a healthy family that loves me. What more can I ask for?

SS

Well I’m sitting here in the crisp fall air writing on the laptop. It’s a far cry from my last entry late in August. Lot’s to tell so I’ll just jump right in…

One of the best parts of running SaxShed.com is being able to check out new releases and offer some press for deserving saxophone artists. Occasionally I will receive packages from PR people and large record companies but more often it is from individuals and boutique record companies. No less than five players are highlighted on the Reviews page this edition. Mike Pedicin, Anibal Rojas, Mark Hollingsworth, Steve Neff and Frank Machia are all great saxophonists who are worthy of more attention. I invite you to read and learn more about them and their most recent projects under Reviews at SaxShed.com.

Mike Pedicin and I have worked together many times in Atlantic City and Philadelphia. He has contracted orchestras for headliners in the casino showrooms for years – all the time pursuing his solo career as a contemporary saxophonist. I’ve worked for him, next to him and we’ve even subbed for each other on more than one occasion. There are two occasions that stick out in my mind when I think of Mike Pedicin. One was the gig we did together for Natalie Cole at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Natalie was on her Unforgettable Tour at the height of her career, singing her father’s music. Our stint was just before she won the Grammy back around 1992 or 93. Mike contracted the gig and sat in the section to my right. I was next to my flute teacher, (Tony Sal) down the row from the director of the college big band (Billy Z) and next to Mike Pedicin. It was a first and most awesome experience being “the new guy” among local giants and a legend like Natalie. Another thing worth mentioning was the opening act – Smooth Jazz artist Warren Hill. It was during that same run with Natalie Cole that I became friendly with Warren, leading to the Saxophone Journal interview mirrored on SaxShed.com. It was just a great weekend. On the second occasion Mike and I both played tenor for Marie Osmond’s Christmas Show in Atlantic City one week. This wasn’t the coolest gig we’ve done together but it is worth remembering for a laugh…I’ll explain.

During the rehearsal in the showroom (Caesars as I recall) we ran through Marie Osmond’s Christmas Show. There wasn’t a lot to play in the way of soloing and that wasn’t unusual for this type of show. What was unusual is that Mike Pedicin very generously passed down one of his only solos – to me. It was a solo on something like Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. Knowing Mike was more than capable of playing this himself, I wondered why he passed it down to me. Whatever the case, I thought he was just sharing the wealth. I played the solo and cats around me said, “nice job” and we moved on to the next tune. At the end of the rehearsal the conductor came over to me with something in his hand. He said, “When you stand up to take the solo, put this on.” He was holding a Santa hat with antlers sticking out of it! It was then that I understood why Mike was being so generous! Thanks for the solo Mike, but I think the antlers would have looked better on you! You got me good. Still laughing about that now…

A mutual friend, Carl Cox, introduced Anibal Rojas’ playing to me. Anibal can be seen and heard playing Body and Soul on Youtube.com. It’s worth a visit. Most Recently Anibal (pronounced AH-KNEE-BALL) shared his newest Cd with me for review here. He is a wonderful talent with roots in music that give his songs a unique flare. It’s world music - saxophone style. You really must check him out at anibalrojas.com and in the review section here.

I have known Mark Hollingsworth since our days together at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He and I started on the same path some 25 years ago. When he traveled back to Chicago one Christmas I “house sat” in his apartment while he was away between semesters. I got more practicing and transcribing done in that one month than probably most of my semesters at Berklee. His journey took him to L.A. and mine to Atlantic City and Philadelphia. We have stayed in touch these many years and even reunited while he was on tour with Tom Jones in Atlantic City. It is a pleasure to hear him continuing to offer new music on this Cd, Chasing the Sun.  Mark’s site is markhollingsworth.com and you can read a complete review of his new release here.

Steve Neff is not promoting a Cd, however he does have a great website and some outstanding patterns for improvisation. I’ve included a complete review of his book Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale and his other web offerings here. You can find out more about this talented saxophonist and hear some great vintage mouthpiece clips as well at neffmusic.com. Keep up the good work Steve!

Lastly, this brings us to Frank Machia. When I was around 16 or 17 years old and still in high school, I would take frequent pilgrimages to Boston. I grew up in the sleepy town of Whitinsville, Ma. About an hour west of the city. Whether by bus or friend’s car, I would take every opportunity to head into Boston for concerts at Berklee or just to hang out. It seemed that there were always posters around the Back Bay advertising Booga Booga and Frank Machia. I remember thinking, “Who is Frank Machia and what is Booga Booga?” Well it wasn’t long before I learned that Frank was among the best saxophonists at Berklee during the late 70s. He graduated the semester before I started and I never heard a thing about him for years after. Fast forward to the internet age and I found Frank alive and well in cyberspace. He was kind enough to send a promo package highlighting his latest projects and you can read all about that here. You can read more about Frank and his unique compositions at frankmachia.net

Well that’s all the news to tell for now. Until next time I’ll see you all in cyberspace.

Stay well and play well.
Skip
Saxshed.com

Skip’s Blog 8/24/07

I sit here writing while on a much-needed vacation in New England. Music is my life, my hobby, my mistress, my distraction and sometimes my frustration. This free time has given me the time to rejuvenate, refresh and recharge my battery. If I could only get my laptop battery to hold a charge!

Back to vacation. I will attend a family wedding in Massachusetts today, which follows a week in Maine. My wife, kids and I have truly enjoyed ourselves and all the tension is remiss from our faces.

Although my laptop battery prohibits me from straying too far away from the house, I’m able to write about the most recent developments at SaxShed.com and in my work for Saxophone Journal. Prior to vacation, which ends all too soon, I was making progress toward the final steps of the newest Masterclass CD on Contemporary Jazz Playing. The project has been a lesson in recycling for me. With each of the four previous masterclasses for SJ, I’ve spent quite a bit of time writing and editing ideas for new tunes. Rather than write some new songs, I used some previously unreleased tunes for this project. The most recent composition is only two years old and the oldest dates back to 1987.

In 1992 I made a demo tape to use while networking locally and also sent that out to some of the biggest artist representation firms in NYC and LA. It was at that time that I learned the phrase, “Not currently accepting unsolicited submissions”. My goal at that time was not to be signed to a label or even promoted as an “artist” myself. As an alternative, I was looking to get on a tour with one of the many popular recording artists at that time. Well, that never happened, however other opportunities locally allowed me to play with many of the same artists when they came through our area. It’s funny how things work out.

Back to the masterclass. The songs from this demo tape came out well and reflected the times. “Reflected the times” is also a nice way of saying “Now they sound dated.” They were good tunes in my estimation, so why not finally have them heard?! These tunes and one more recent will be the focus of the newest CD for SJ. I expect that it will be as useful and well received as previous offerings.

Sal Lozano is one of the busiest saxophonists in L.A. and the subject of my most recent interview for SJ. You can find a “teaser” here along other complete interviews and the complete interview will be published first in Saxophone Journal and then mirrored here on SaxShed.com. Sal and I spoke for HOURS about the recording business, playing the other woodwinds (doubling) and many other fascinating topics related to saxophone performance and education. Sal was gracious enough to share some of his warm ups for flute and clarinet and they have been posted here as well. Keep your eyes on SJ as I’m not sure which issue it will first be published.

A byproduct of interviewing many well-known saxophonists is reconnecting with old friends and colleagues. Interviewing Sal was no different. Many of the fellow saxophonists who attended Berklee College of Music with me back in the early 80s have also been working alongside Sal for several years. Mark Pinto, Brian Williams, Scott Rowe, Doug Webb, Frank Machia and Mark Hollingsworth are among those I can remember at present. It was good to hear about all of them from Sal. Frank Machia was kind enough to send his latest recordings and those will be reviewed here as well.

A couple months ago I wrote a short account of my personal recollections and interactions with Michael Brecker. There was really no intended purpose for the writing but I just poured out of me – as many of these blogs do. I’ve decided to include this short tribute to Mike on the website for anyone interested. You can find it here.

Well, as summer comes to an end many of us will be returning to the normal routine in September. I look forward to new challenges with greater rewards. To all who read this, I wish you every happiness and success as well.

Stay well and play well.
Skip

Hi, Skip Spratt here and welcome to my blog. There have been some new things going on around here and you will likely notice the additions when you stop by the site. Transcriptions and Tools in the Shed continue to grow, as well as the review section’s array of books, cds and other publications. Bob Mintzer Quartet’s release In the Moment is reviewed, as is the three part saxophone style series by Dennis Taylor. Lastly, it is important to note the much-awaited release of Michael Brecker’s posthumous release, Pilgrimage. Read on…

SaxShed.com started as a humble stop on the information highway to share my knowledge of teaching and playing the saxophone. As it has grown, there has been the addition to information on clarinet and flute as well. These bits of information have been made available to doublers (a term some consider offensive, although I accept) but room to grow remains. The Flute Shed, long a part of SaxShed.com is now its own entity. In an effort to offer more to the woodwind players I’d like to welcome Liz Campbell of Winds101.com as the prime sponsor of FluteShed.com. Liz operates a small but comprehensive flute shop, which caters to flautists and woodwind doublers alike. She offers new and uses flutes, custom headjoints and other woodwinds as well. Recently I purchased an alto flute from Liz and the service and attention to my needs was superior. I look forward to working with Liz to make FluteShed.com a more comprehensive site for flautists as well as saxophonists looking to get more serious about their flute playing.

It’s time to begin working on another Masterclass CD for Saxophone Journal. The Tenor Sax Styles Masterclass just released in the May/June issue of SJ has gotten some great feedback from readers. To all of you who chose to write – thank you much! It’s a labor of love and the kind words are always appreciated. The next Masterclass CD for 2008 will be on contemporary jazz playing. Smooth Jazz was the first subject tackled by this writer some 4 years ago. The Contemporary Jazz Cd should appeal to traditional jazz lovers as well as those who enjoy smooth jazz. I look forward to working it all out this summer!

Michael Brecker’s presence is still felt, particularly as Pilgrimage has been released. Although I await my own copy, preordered from Amazon.com, I anticipate a work that is both powerful and beautiful. My good friend and fellow saxophonist Dino Govoni had this to say,” This is the deepest writing of Michael’s career. Without a doubt, it is an emotional recording. Even in his weakest playing state he makes a complete emotional statement. He truly plays from the heart!” Below, there is a link to a beautiful video clip from what would be his final recording session. The clip ends with Michael walking out of the studio saying the very poignant words, “Bye you all. Thank you much.”

http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrimage-Michael-Brecker/dp/B000OHZJA0/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1/002-3090494-6096026

Only last week the city of Philadelphia and the broader saxophone community lost one of its own. Saxophonist, woodwind artist, composer, arranger and educator, William Zaccagni, “Billy Z” to many, died of heart failure. I had the pleasure of working under Bill in the University of the Arts Big Band in Philadelphia for a couple years. Later, we played a handful of shows together in Philly as well as Atlantic City.

Michael Brecker too started his life and career in Philadelphia. Early on, his saxophone teacher was Vince Trombetta. Another student of Mr. Trombetta was Bill Zaccagni. I recall Bill telling me how his lesson was after Mike’s! You can imagine what a burden that must have been. That story always made me laugh. Imagine…your lesson right after Mike Brecker…You can read about my personal feelings toward Bill HERE. It doesn’t say much but he was much more to many young saxophonists. God Bless you “Billy Z.”
Bill Zaccagni Obituary
Billy Z at Kendor

If you have or know of a saxophone-related publication or recording you would like reviewed, feel free to contact Skip @ SaxShed. com to for submission.

Hello once again and welcome to my blog. My name is Skip Spratt and I’m here to talk saxophone news, happenings at SaxShed.com and other items that may be of interest to other folks just like you.

Looking at SaxShed.com, the first thing you may notice is that the transcription page has been updated with some new additions. Los Angeles based saxophonist Dan Higgins has graciously provided SaxShed.com with the permission to post a couple of his complete solo transcriptions. His current release, Voicing a Standard was reviewed here last month and the transcriptions can be found here. Several of the other transcriptions I’ve done recently date back to recordings from the 80s. There have been several times over the past few years when I have wanted to go back and write out some of the most popular sax solos from back then. This time I got to write out a couple and hopefully more in the future.

There were so many great pop sax solos in the 70s and 80s that are still replayed today. How many times have you been on a gig and someone expected you to play Phil Wood’s solo on Just the Way You Are – note for note? Yeah me too – too many times to mention. Here’s some trivia for some of you older cats out there: What solo should you play when the singer says, “Blow Danny Blow?” The answer is at the bottom of this page.

Saxophone players like myself who cut their teeth on the contemporary jazz and dance music of the 70s and 80s remember what it was like to turn on the radio and hear a sax solo on every other song played. No more my brother. No more. Again? We can only hope. Today, there are two very popular choices for the young saxophonist – traditional or smooth jazz. They can immerse themselves into the traditional followings of Bird, Trane, Cannonball, Dexter, Sonny Rollins or Stitt and their disciples. Otherwise, there are plentiful, commercial opportunities to showcase skills as a contemporary or Smooth Jazz player. Classical saxophonists, on the other hand, are a unique group of musicians who work toward mastery of this instrument in a different manner. Many non-saxophonists consciously or passively exclude the saxophone’s regular presence from the traditional concert halls. Well, maybe that’s a bit strong. This is, after all, 2007. Classical saxophone and the literature available have come a long way. One just can’t find much programming available for it outside of academia.

With fewer choices and outlets for playing the horn these days, I find myself echoing the sentiments of the “older cats” when I was young. They used to say, “There’s not as many clubs to play as there once was and there are fewer bands that use a lot of horns.” That statement I first heard in the 70s was made referring to the big band era and what came thereafter. Now I find myself making the same statement, “There’s not as many clubs to play as there once was and there are fewer bands that use a lot of horns.” The statement rings true but now we are talking about 1 horn instead of 3. In the 70s they were talking about 5 horns instead of a big band – crazy. Maybe it’s just the way you see things as you become older and more established – dunno. I AM turning into my father though!

Last week I got a valuable window into the mindset of some younger saxophonists on the college level. The University of the Arts had me speak and play as a guest lecturer/clinician for the saxophone majors. We talked shop about equipment, the business and finding a voice on the horn. This was accomplished through a focus on style playing. Style playing has been forward in my thoughts lately as the “Styles Masterclass CD will now be released in Saxophone Journal in May/June 07. (yes delayed one more issue) Nonetheless, in talking with students about style, they mentioned favorite players like those mentioned earlier. They included Trane, Cannonball, Stitt, and Dexter as being great stylists. I agreed, but added easily identifiable players such as Gato Barbieri, Clarence Clemons and Junior Walker to the list of “stylists” on the saxophone. Man, the majority of the audience of 20 or so sax majors didn’t even recognize the names. I spoke with Ron Kerber, head of the UArts saxophone Department before, during and after the clinic. He came to the conclusion that the college students enrolled now aspire to be “artists” more so than when we were coming up. That’s not to say we didn’t aspire to be original-minded performers and artists, but we wanted to WORK. We wanted to GIG. We wanted to get paid to PLAY. Ideally, we might become artists with a name and stature but first we wanted to gig. The players coming up now can’t go to the corner bar or local club and see a sax player on stage with a cover band. It barely exists. How can a kid aspire to begin playing in a situation 6 nights a week when that beast is extinct? So, it seems the only direction these young, talented players can look is the saxophone greats or smooth jazz. I suspect more of the students listened to or enjoyed contemporary jazz but it didn’t seem to be “politically correct” to admit it in front of their Bebop-worshiping peers. The end result of the clinic was a great experience for myself. I presume it was an eye opener for these younger players as well. Thanks to Ron Kerber and Marc Dicciani for bringing me in on this one. I hope to do more like this in the near future.

How can I write this entry without mentioning Michael Brecker one more time? I can’t. We all miss him. So many in the saxophone as well as the broader music community grieve the loss of Mike. There are stages of grief no matter what the loss. It could be a loved one, an appendage, a friend - or in this case an inspirational fixture like Mike. I’m feeling the loss along with many, many others. Denial first, then Anger comes. Later can come Depression for some and ultimately for all - Acceptance. In our own way, we will all grieve for some time over this loss. In the meantime, I have been thoroughly enjoying rediscovering Michael Brecker’s recordings at home and video tributes online. We can all find inspiration in this vast body of work he has left behind. Thank you for that Michael Brecker.

Stay well and play well.
Skip

Answer: Why that’s what Rick James said right before the sax solo on Superfreak of course!

Hello again and welcome to my newest entry. First of all, I’d like to thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read. Much has happened since the last entry. First and foremost, Michael Brecker passed away only two weeks ago today. This news saddened many who had heard he was doing better as of this past summer. More on this later in the blog. For now, some happier news…

Dan Higgins, virtuoso saxophonist and 1st Reed Player in L.A., has released a new CD entitled, Voicing a Standard. The back cover of the CD boasts endorsements from none other than Quincy Jones, John Williams and Sammy Nestico. Need I say more??? You can read the full review HERE.

Many of you have asked about the next masterclass CD for Saxophone Journal. Yes, I reported it would be out sooner in an earlier blog. We will all have to wait a bit longer for the masterclass to be published. Please look for it in the Mar/Apr 2007 Saxophone Journal. Dino Soldo is another interesting saxophonist featured in the same upcoming issue. Dino and I spoke while he was at home outside L.A. He is a wonderful player who has taken somewhat of an “alternate route” to becoming a highly sought-after instrumentalist in L.A. and on the road. Click HERE to read more.

Two interviews in the past few months gave me great insight into two great talents - Tom Scott and Bob Mintzer. Tom’s interview has been posted here and if you missed it I encourage you to check it out HERE. Bob Mintzer’s interview is still pending publication in Saxophone Journal, however you can have a sneak peak HERE.

As I mentioned earlier, Mike Brecker’s passing was the saddest news for most of us recently. Only a few months ago I had received news that Mike had developed Leukemia. At that time he had been admitted to the hospital but that new development was not public knowledge. I didn’t feel it was best to write about that here. Almost holding my breath, I awaited more news over the past few weeks. That news came in the form of emails from several friends in the NYC area. It wasn’t the news any of us wanted. Michael Brecker lost his 2 1/2 year battle and passed away. Although this is a blow to the saxophone community and the even larger artistic world, it is not the end of his music. Michael has a new cd to be released this coming May. It is my understanding that Mike recorded it following his brief appearance with Herbie Hancock at Carnagie Hall this past summer. In addition to the new recording, Michael Brecker has been one of the most documented instrumentalists of the past few decades. He has played on countless albums, cds, television shows and videos over his spectacular career. We can be somewhat consoled in the fact that we will always be able to enjoy Mike’s recorded music despite the fact that he is now in a better place.

God Bless You Mike. We are not the same for having had you here to inspire us.

Stay well and play well.

Skip
SaxShed.com

Hello saxophonists, teachers and players alike! Much has happened since the last entry in my blog. First of all, there are several new reviews posted here at SaxShed.com.

Randy Hunter, Greg Fishman and the team of Rosenberg and Weiskopf have all penned new books submitted here for review.

Randy Hunter’s series Set the Stage offers some easy arrangements for jazz bands without complete instrumentation. Read more

Greg Fishman has another great book entitled, Jazz Duets. Greg’s first book of jazz etudes has received a lot of press and deservedly so! You can read the complete review here.

Every teacher of saxophone has had a remarkable student who comes along only every few years or so. In my case, Ed Rosenberg is that one student who has surpassed all students of mine who came before or since his internment with me. I met Ed when he was in 8th grade and worked with him all through high school. Now Ed had teamed up with Walt Weiskopf to produce and release the newest book by Weiskopf entitled “Around the Horn.” Read the complete review here.

Looking on the Horizon

My fourth masterclass for Saxophone Journal has just been completed and is slated to be published in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue. This masterclass deals exclusively with tenor saxophone styles. No, not how to play like Trane or Brecker or even Dexter – it is a guide for the gigging saxophonist. The Cd takes you through the skills necessary to play like popular commercial saxophonists such as rocker Clarence Clemons, funky and soulful Junior Walker and even sweet and smooth Stan Getz.

My three former masterclasses (Smooth Jazz, Latin Jazz and Satin Latin Jazz Duets) are available in back issues at: dornpub.com.

Dan Higgins, has a new CD release and a couple transcriptions he has graciously provided for publication here. A complete review of Dan’s CD will be posted in the next few weeks. If you don’t know Dan, he was interviewed for Saxophone Journal several months ago and my interview with Dan is mirrored here.

New Lesson Service Lessons by SaxCam

Lessons by Mail have long been part of SaxShed.com. Many LBM students have benefited from the improvisational information as well as warm ups and other exercises. Learning embouchure formation, finger technique and other technical aspects are best learned with the teacher sitting right there next to you. Now I am going to offer lessons by webcam or in this case, Lessons by SaxCam. If you have a webcam and are interested in this concept, please contact Skip @ Sax Shed . com to become part of a FREE study group. Several students (who have webcams) will be selected to receive 2 or 3 lessons at no charge. The expectation is to work out technical bugs before these are offered to the public.

Well, that’s all the new info – enjoy the site!

Stay well and play well.
Skip

Hello to all and welcome to my latest blog entry. It’s been too long since the last entry and lots to tell.

1) Back in April I was happy to report that Michael Brecker told me via email that he was playing some tenor and EWI again. This news was passed on to SaxShed.com readers in the last blog. In June, Brecker joined Herbie Hancock on stage at Carnagie Hall. Mike’s return to the stage has been widely reported in the last month. Read below:

Hancock took the mic to announce the third tune, “One Finger Snap” (from his 1964 classic Blue Note album, Empyrean Isles). “I feel kind of funny doing this tune as a trio because usually I play it with a quartet,” he announced to the capacity crowd before coyly looking into the wings and adding, “There must be some sax player backstage there who could sit in on this one.” And with that, out walked Michael Brecker with tenor sax in hand, to the utter shock of everyone in attendance. The capacity crowd leapt to its feet with unanimous cheers as Brecker backed his way onto the stage from the wings, looking up at the ceiling and turning about in a mock-disoriented, Chaplinesque manner, as if to ask, “Where am I? How did I get here?”

“While reports had been circulating that he was feeling stronger lately, entertaining visitors at his home and woodshedding again on his EWI and tenor sax, no one—except for Brecker’s inner circle of friends and family—suspected that he was well enough to make a public appearance, let alone a high-profile one at such a prestigious venue.”

You can read the entire review at the link below.

http://www.jazztimes.com/reviews/concert_reviews/detail.cfm?article=10378

2) Here in the Philadelphia/Atlantic City, as in other metropolitan areas there has been an increased popularity of Smooth Jazz on local radio. WJJZ was a fixture on Philadelphia radio for nearly the past 15 years. Like so many other stations before it, WJJZ has changed the format. Presently, there is no local Smooth Jazz station. About 5 years ago, there were two stations, the second being down the Jersey Shore. That station (which I can’t remember right now) left the airwaves a few years ago as well.

As a frequent traveller to Boston, I used to enjoy tuning into Smooth Jazz stations along the eastern corridor. It seems that some of those stations have disappeared as well.
Now having said all this, I have a question to pose. What will come next? What venue will be available to the next generation of saxophonists? Traditional and Straight Ahead Jazz will likely continue in it’s popularity among players and jazz enthusiasts. The cool thing about Smooth Jazz is that it was a form of instrumental music (largely saxophone music) that was consumed by the masses. The loss of one, singular station does not signal the end of an era - but it does make me wonder…

3) Having taken to riding a bike (bicycle, no engine) for exercise and recreation, I have enjoyed riding in the local area. A stationary bike is great in bad weather, however I much prefer taking to the back roads and county parks. Recently, I was riding on a bike path through Camden County Park and passed several families romping on the playground. This one little girl (and presumably her sister) was riding on a see-saw. Her sister went up and she bumped on the ground. The little girl shouted, “It shut off my ipod!” Wow…I remember when the see-saw all by itself was the entertainment. Call me old-fashioned.

4) Transcribing has taken a back seat to working on another Saxophone Journal Masterclass Cd. This is my fourth and will hopefully address another interesting topic - styles. Over the years, many of us have found it necessary to play in the style of a famous saxophone player. Although most of us search for a unique sound and style, copying others and emulating their approach is part of getting there. The new masterclass will provide examples and tips on honoring the tradition of stylists like Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Sam Butera, Gato Barbieri and even Clarence Clemons.

Well, that’s all to tell for now. Hope everyone has had a great summer and looking forward to an even better fall.

Stay well and play well.
Skip@SaxShed.com

Hello again and welcome to my newest blog entry! Lots of new things are happening here at SaxShed.com.

The forum is growing slowly and I invite everyone to stop by and get things going. There are lots of people with great ideas and questions that need answers. I welcome posts and inquiries and will try to answer as quickly as possible. I anticipate more of my colleagues in the saxophone and teaching word to stop in from time to time – so keep an eye out in the forum.

The biggest news is the EXCLUSIVE Tom Scott Interview found only here on SaxShed.com. As many have already discovered, many of my past interviews with Saxophone Journal are mirrored here. (with permission) Recently my internet and saxophone buddy Rich Godoy hooked up an interview with Tom Scott. It was my intention to have it published first in SJ and later here on SaxShed.com. Unfortunately, Tom was featured in SJ only a couple years ago and they chose not to run it at this time. Rather than let the great interview go unread, you can enjoy it here EXCLUSIVELY at SaxShed.com. Tom is a great guy and was very candid in this interview conducted the evening of the Grammy Awards only a few weeks ago.

Lastly, I was thrilled to receive a very nice email back from Michael Brecker. As many of you know Mike has been dealing with some serious health issues. I often get emails from readers asking if I know how he is doing. I contacted Mike to see if he would like to share anything to pass along. He is home and actually playing a bit of EWI and saxophone in his home studio as of the end of April 2006. Mike has agreed to an interview when he is feeling up to it. I plan to take him up on that! We all miss his voice and wish to see him stronger and in better health. God Bless You Mike and thanks for all the inspiration!

As always -
Stay well and play well.
Skip of SaxShed.com

Welcome to the new, redesigned SaxShed.com! First and foremost I would like to personally thank each and every person over the past few years for visiting. Your visits have totaled well over 1 Million since inception!!! That’s unbelievable for a small, independent educational site such as this. Again THANKS!

Inside the site you should find the same helpful information as before in a more attractive and user-friendly package. There are still featured saxophonist interviews as well as practice tips and music to practice. The links page has been trimmed down and now provides a place to automatically suggest new links.

Please visit the forum and help get our community talking with one another. Your questions and comments are expected to make this forum a great resource for teachers and aspiring saxophonists alike.

Lastly, I would like to thank Mike Dotterer of DotmanDesign.com. Mike and I have known and worked with each other since college. (don’t ask - too many years ago!) About 6 or 7 years ago Mike and I both took the plunge into web design and maintenance. Mike has made a career out of it and SaxShed.com is a result of my initial interest. Now I have entrusted the upkeep of SaxShed.com to Mike. The site will still be essentially the same. It’s just nice that the technical issues will be handled by someone else and I can focus on teaching and playing the saxophone more!

Click on the Comments link below and let us know how the new layout looks and works for you.

As always -
Stay well and play well.
Skip of SaxShed.com