Johnny Hodges' alto, dissected

In this YouTube video, iconic saxophonist Frank Wess speaks about Johnny Hodges' alto saxophone, which Hess has owned and performed on for quite some time.  After Wess' overview of the horn, we see a close-up of a saxophone technician taking the horn apart and highlighting interesting mechanisms on this classic Vito.

Who knew that Vito horns were once at the top of the game, and not just utilitarian student beaters?

Incidentally, this horn is a work of art, with engraving on every single key, a snake's head on the upper octave mechanism, and Johnny Hodges engraved into the bell.

Thanks to Colorado-based saxophonist Joel Harris for the tip.

Passover grooooves

Jewish brethren (and sistren): Happy Pesach!

And, here's a vid for the occasion....imagine if James Brown were at your Seder...and he played saxophone...and were a white, Jewish guy with limited dance moves...

Kudos across The Pond!

Dual congratulations to UK saxophone teacher extraordiaire Ben Drouet and the teenage quartet he coaches, the Sax Pistols:

1. for having about the coolest name for a saxophone quartet
2. for their fantastic, spirited performance of my Wade in the Water arrangement.  

Dig it:

Happy Friday :-)

Thanks, Charles Schulz! (and Linus)

Bohemian Rhapsody is coming!

The long-and-short of it:

After 8 years of asking, Hal Leonard has granted me license to publish my jazz ensemble arrangement of Bohemian Rhapsody.

This calls for a major woo-hoo!

LISTEN TO PREVIEW RECORDING

A timeline

2002:  thought it'd be cool to arrange Bo Rhap for jazz ensemble.  But I couldn't figure out how to do it without having it sound like musak.

2004:  I figured it out.

2005: started performing said arr. with my local big band, the Valley Jazz Orchestra.  Bo Rhap soon became a staple of our repertoire.  I shared the chart with a couple of friends—not realizing at the time that this was unlawful.  One of them actually used this chart with a couple of All-State Jazz bands he directed!  (thanks, M.O.!)

2005 or 2006:  I contacted Hal Leonard seeking permission to self-publish.  Request denied.

2007:  I sent Brian May (Queen's guitarist!) a bootleg recording of the chart.  He listened, and wrote me back.

2006-present:  I've received loads of requests for this music from people I don't know, but who found the bootleg recording buried in my website.  I've denied every request, because I did not have permission to distribute.

2012:  Doggone it, already!  I decided to contact Hal Leonard again, after redoing my web store.

2013:  Asked permission once again.  Was denied.  I responded with, in a nutshell, "Pretty Please, with sugar on top?".  THEY SAID YES!

So now what?

I have to tweak the parts and score, prepare them for printing, get the proper © notice, etc.  Then, start selling these charts.

I figure, even if I simply break even on the licensing and printing costs, I'm thrilled to be finally getting this chart out there!  (Of course, I'd be even thrilled-er if I were to make a little profit...).

I'll keep you posted. :-)