[Dixielandjazz] Bechet's Reeds

[Rob Wright]

Steve,

I found your comment about the reeds and sound very interesting because I
have observed a similar occurrence with banjos.  When I was looking to
purchase a new banjo I asked Buddy Wachter, the best in the world, to play
both banjos (that I had narrowed me search to)for me so I could hear them
"out front."  To my amazement, they sounded the same!  Indeed, I have made
three recordings in the last three years with the same banjo set up very
differently.  And again, the banjo sounds far more similar than I would have
imagined. 

Another example:  We have a very talented soprano sax player in our band.
One day he brought a tenor sax to a gig because something broke on his
soprano.  I was worried that the tone was going to be way different than
what we were used to, but not so.  He still sounded like he always did, even
on a different horn.  Rob