[Dixielandjazz] Attn Reed Players

[Mark Bauer]

Very good points and advice, Larry thanks. To be honest, if he would do 
50/50 clarinet/sop sax I would be happy. But, I will take the part up an 
octave for him.







LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing wrote:

> Each band and leader has a sound he wants.  If there isn't some political (friends for 40 years etc) or other reason to have this guy then find someone who plays clarinet.  On the other hand you might re-write the part for him and quit being such a purist.
> 
> Some people just don't like the Soprano sax and in the hands of, I have to say, most players this attitude is justified.  The Soprano sax isn't for the beginner or intermediate player.  The high register is a challenge to keep in tune even on the best instrument and the low register sounds like a duck. 
> 
> One leader I work for hates the instrument and another insists on it ( he calls it a lawn dart).  I really prefer the clarinet for most traditional jazz but since my accident (nerve damage) I really can't cover the holes always.  I had purchased, just for kicks, a Winston soprano in a going out of business sale for $300.  I found that it was pretty well in tune, fingered easily and I didn't sound like most of the guys that I heard.  I fell on the ice about two months later and had a lot of difficulty playing clarinet.  After my operation I pretty much gave up the idea of ever playing clarinet again.  Sooooo -- out came the soprano.   I actually started liking the thing.
> 
> The next step was to get a quality instrument.  I bought a Yamaha Custom.  This is a very nice instrument.  The high register plays much better in tune. 
> 
> There is an advantage to soprano.  It can play louder than clarinet and has more carrying power.  This is a real advantage outside without amps.  One of the best clarinet players that I know might as well not show up on a gig because you can't hear him more than 10 ft away.  Unless you are playing chamber music the clarinet is useless for the most part in the low register outside and if the hall is large forget it.  I always thought I did OK because I have a big bore horn with a custom made Wells mouthpiece but even with that the low register isn't very good outside.
> 
> The soprano was an experimental instrument much like the C Melody sax.  It was intended to replace the clarinet until everyone found out that 1. it was a killer to play and 2. it cost more than a clarinet. Case closed.  The instrument went out of vogue until Kenny G. came along.  And yes I know what everyone thinks of him but he did popularize the instrument.  A lot of old crappy horns came out of grandpa's attic and guys tried them usually to no good end.  
> 
> I think the instrument goes well with this type of music because it's a period instrument just like flapper dresses and the same goes for C sax which has a unique sound only used in music of the 20's and 30's.
> 
> Soprano is a mixed bag.  I feel it fits well in traditional Jazz.  I have to use it all the time but It should be a change off instrument to add color.  Personally I change off to Tenor for variety.   But after having said that most clarinet players (if they started on clarinet) don't have the correct embouchure for (any) sax and sound a bit strained.  This comes from locking onto the mouthpiece like a snapping turtle.  This is OK and may even be necessary on clarinet but the sax embouchure must be more fluid and controlled by muscles rather than clamping on.  This is why soprano sax players are usually so bad.  They think it's a Clarinet.
> 
> My biggest difficulty with the Soprano is all the licks that over the years I've learned just don't lay well and feel funny and occasionally I use a clarinet fingering for some note ( oops! )
> 
> 
> 
> The last suggestion is that he play the low register part of the solo up an octave.
> 
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-- 
"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being
said."