So this week I wanted to keep to my transcription goal but things have been a bit hectic around here. I was playing a Benjamin Allen Tony Dagradi model tenor mouthpiece most of today while I was practicing and it reminded me of a Tony Dagradi solo on Invitation that I had heard a while […]
Michael Brecker Transcription-Blue Bossa 1985
Happy Holidays Everyone!! Here’s another new transcription I have been working on. It’s Christmas Eve, the wife and kids are in bed, the presents are under the tree, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse, when down from Steve’s office arose such a clatter, the sound of Michael Brecker……that was the matter………. This is […]
Ken Okutsu High Baffle Tenor Mouthpiece Review
Today, I am reviewing my first hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece from Ken Okutsu in Japan. It is the high baffle model and has an 8 tip opening which is .110. I hadn’t heard of Ken Okutsu before but he emailed me asking if I would be willing to try his mouthpieces. I of course […]
Michael Brecker Transcription of Confirmation-Berklee Clinic 1987
Here’s another new transcription I’m working on. Every once in a while I get in a mood to transcribe some Michael Brecker. Then, after I get started I soon think “What the heck was I thinking? This is crazy!” It’s usually after I have slowed down one section to the slowest it can possibly go and […]
9 Great Tenor Saxophone Mouthpieces to Compare
This is from a comparison post I made some years ago of 9 great tenor saxophone mouthpieces. I thought it was worthy of a repost since it has been awhile since I made it. On all 9 clips I’m just playing a simple Bb blues (C for tenor) I’m trying to keep it relatively […]
Great Transcription of George Coleman over Cherokee Changes
Here’s a burnin’ tenor saxophone solo from the great tenor saxophonist, George Coleman. This is from his album “Amsterdam After Dark”. The solo is from the tune “Apache Dance” which has a solo section over the changes of “Cherokee”. I was actually given this solo transcription by a teacher at Berklee College of Music almost […]
Benjamin Allen 10E .135 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
Today, I am reviewing another hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece from Benjamin Allen. It is another 10E model but this one is at a huge .135 tip opening. I have to admit that I have never played a .135 tip opening before. I usually start complaining that a tip opening is too wide when I hit […]
Scott Hamilton & Harry Allen Blues Up and Down Transcription
Here’s another great solo transcription from one of my favorite recordings. This is a fast blues called “Blues Up & Down” and is from the CD entitled “Heavy Juice”. This CD features Scott Hamilton and Harry Allen both on the tenor saxophone. Both of these great musicians swing like crazy on this album. This is a recording I would […]
Benjamin Allen Brighter 10E+ Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
Today, I am reviewing another hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece from Benjamin Allen. It is the 10E model but it is a Ben’s brighter version of this model. This model doesn’t have a name yet so for the sake of this review I will just call it the 10E+. Benjamin Allen mentored under “Doc” Tenney […]
Benjamin Allen 10E Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
Today, I am reviewing a hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece from Benjamin Allen. It is called the 10E model and if that sounds familiar it is because I reviewed a 10E years ago that was crafted by Paul “Doc” Tenney. Benjamin Allen mentored under “Doc” Tenney and after Doc’s death decided to carry on his […]
Danny Walsh Chameleon Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription
Here’s another great solo transcription from a Youtube video that I started working on a few days ago. This is from another terrific tenor sax player, Danny Walsh. I believe Danny went to Berklee College of Music and left shorty before I got there in the mid 80’s. I’m not sure I have ever heard him live although the […]
Great Lenny Pickett Clinic
I just found these videos on Youtube a few minutes ago and started watching them. Lenny Pickett is a tenor sax player known to almost all saxophone players. If you have ever watched Saturday Night Live, you have heard Lenny Pickett. He’s the sax player in the middle of the TV screen playing notes so […]
New Lesson Series: Playing Outside-Approach Note Matrix
I started a new lesson series this last week based off of my books “Approach Note Velocity Vol. 1 & 2“. This is a cool series and might even lead to another book on the subject! Last week I started working on using some of the approaches in my book to approach the upper structures […]
Liam Byrne Tenor Saxophone Blues Solo Transcription
Here’s a nice swingin’ blues solo transcription I started working on a few days ago. This is from a young tenor sax player, Liam Byrne. The group is called BBQ and stands for Brownfield/Byrne Quintet. Here’s a short Bio about Liam Byrne from his website: ‘…Saxophonist Liam Byrne, from North Wales (UK), studied at Leeds College […]
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