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"Reflected The Times"
I sit here writing while on a much-needed vacation in New England. Music is my life, my hobby, my mistress, my distraction and sometimes my frustration. This free time has given me the time to rejuvenate, refresh and recharge my battery. If I could only get my laptop battery to hold a charge!
Back to vacation. I will attend a family wedding in Massachusetts today, which follows a week in Maine. My wife, kids and I have truly enjoyed ourselves and all the tension is remiss from our faces.
Although my laptop battery prohibits me from straying too far away from the house, I’m able to write about the most recent developments at SaxShed.com and in my work for Saxophone Journal. Prior to vacation, which ends all too soon, I was making progress toward the final steps of the newest Masterclass CD on Contemporary Jazz Playing. The project has been a lesson in recycling for me. With each of the four previous masterclasses for SJ, I’ve spent quite a bit of time writing and editing ideas for new tunes. Rather than write some new songs, I used some previously unreleased tunes for this project. The most recent composition is only two years old and the oldest dates back to 1987.
In 1992 I made a demo tape to use while networking locally and also sent that out to some of the biggest artist representation firms in NYC and LA. It was at that time that I learned the phrase, “Not currently accepting unsolicited submissions”. My goal at that time was not to be signed to a label or even promoted as an “artist” myself. As an alternative, I was looking to get on a tour with one of the many popular recording artists at that time. Well, that never happened, however other opportunities locally allowed me to play with many of the same artists when they came through our area. It’s funny how things work out.
Back to the masterclass. The songs from this demo tape came out well and reflected the times. “Reflected the times” is also a nice way of saying “Now they sound dated.” They were good tunes in my estimation, so why not finally have them heard?! These tunes and one more recent will be the focus of the newest CD for SJ. I expect that it will be as useful and well received as previous offerings.
Sal Lozano is one of the busiest saxophonists in L.A. and the subject of my most recent interview for SJ. You can find a “teaser” here along other complete interviews and the complete interview will be published first in Saxophone Journal and then mirrored here on SaxShed.com. Sal and I spoke for HOURS about the recording business, playing the other woodwinds (doubling) and many other fascinating topics related to saxophone performance and education. Sal was gracious enough to share some of his warm ups for flute and clarinet and they have been posted here as well. Keep your eyes on SJ as I’m not sure which issue it will first be published.
A byproduct of interviewing many well-known saxophonists is reconnecting with old friends and colleagues. Interviewing Sal was no different. Many of the fellow saxophonists who attended Berklee College of Music with me back in the early 80s have also been working alongside Sal for several years. Mark Pinto, Brian Williams, Scott Rowe, Doug Webb, Frank Machia and Mark Hollingsworth are among those I can remember at present. It was good to hear about all of them from Sal. Frank Machia was kind enough to send his latest recordings and those will be reviewed here as well.
A couple months ago I wrote a short account of my personal recollections and interactions with Michael Brecker. There was really no intended purpose for the writing but I just poured out of me – as many of these blogs do. I’ve decided to include this short tribute to Mike on the website for anyone interested. You can find it here.
Well, as summer comes to an end many of us will be returning to the normal routine in September. I look forward to new challenges with greater rewards. To all who read this, I wish you every happiness and success as well.
Stay well and play well.
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