[Dixielandjazz] More on soprano saxes

[Chris Tyle]

Larry Walton wrote:

> Yes, I think the other writer meant the C melody sometimes called a C tenor. 
> As far as I know there were never any C soprano's but I suppose there could 
> be.
>   
    There were C sopranos. They show up on eBay with some frequency. I 
once bought what I thought, and what was listed as, a 1920s Buescher Bb 
soprano. When I opened the box, I thought the case looked suspiciously 
small. The horn inside was even smaller - and it was a C. They were 
designed for the same purpose as the C melody - so the player could read 
off a "song sheet," rather than have to transpose or read a Bb part.

> Most if not all sopranos made before 1950 are pure junk.  Virtually 
> impossible to play in tune and the tone is pretty bad.  
    I'd have to disagree with this. Also it's rather a bold statement. 
Have you played every soprano made before 1950? Also, as far as I know, 
there weren't many made past World War II. The instrument's decline 
began about the time Johnny Hodges quit playing his with Duke Ellington 
(an odd coincidence, interestingly enough), and didn't pick up again 
until Coltrane started playing one in the 1960s. During the '50s, '60s 
and '70s sopranos were consigned to the metal clarinet shelf in pawn 
shops and music stores - in other words, they were practically being 
given away.
> This experience was duplicated by Sidney Bechet who tried a soprano and got 
> rid of his first one.  He tried again some time later and overcame a lot of 
> the problems some of which were solved by a very large open vibrato.
>
>   
    Sidney's first soprano was purchased, as I recall reading, in London 
in the 'teens. The next instrument he had was a 1920s Conn, which I 
believe he "borrowed" from Lorenzo Tio, Jr., and never returned. It may 
be the horn in the New Orleans Jazz Museum. I'm sure he had others over 
his career, but the one in most pictures is a 1920s (1925, I think) 
Buescher that his son auctioned off a few years ago.

There's still a large market for vintage sopranos, especially those made 
by Conn, Buescher and Martin. Bob Wilber plays a 1920s Martin, and seems 
to do quite well on it. George Probert plays a vintage Conn. The late 
Jacques Gauthe' played a Martin.

Oddly enough, I sold one today!!

Cheers,
Chris Tyle