Saxophonist and composer Chris Greene was born in Evanston, IL and began playing saxophone at age ten. He was a young member of the award-winning Evanston High School Wind and Jazz Ensembles and in 1991, Greene went to...
Read MoreGreg Fishman has released his third installment of his take on jazz saxophone playing. His first two books Jazz Saxophone Etudes Vol. 1 and Jazz Saxophone Duets, both received critical acclaim by teachers and players alike....
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From the first note John Ricci captured my attention. Ricci’s tenor sound is complex. His playing is bold, robust, energetic but not devoid of warmth. His sound is unique and completely his own. Comparisons can be made to contemporaries such as Chris Potter, Seamus Blake, Eric Alexander or even Joe Lovano. The aggression he displays on the opening track Mode Time however is more reminiscent of Trane or perhaps Brecker and Berg.
Holding Times’ second cut initially appeared to be the sometimes overdone jazz classic Here’s That Rainy Day. The only similarity to with song of the same name was the ballad setting. After two listens I still struggled to hear the song known as Here’s That Rainy Day. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the second cut was in fact Ballerina! After a bit of a reality check I realized that I had read the song titles straight down on the CD jacket. Simply noticing the number “3” next to Here’s That Rainy Day would have saved me from questioning my knowledge of jazz standards! Ricci’s intervallic, while still melodic solo on Ballerina follows some tender playing by pianist Joshua Bowlus.
Despite my earlier confusion, I finally moved on to thoroughly enjoy Here’s That Rainy Day. The
Latin treatment here keeps this classic lively and fresh. Billy Thornton on bass and Peter Miles on drums set the tone by pulsing and percolating behind Bowlus and Ricci. Changing things up a bit, bassist Thornton takes the first solo. John builds intensity and breathes life back into the rhythm section with his modern and rhythmic ride. His improvisational lines captivate the listener. He often favors larger intervals, which further emphasize his classically modern approach. Listening to this take makes me feel like playing the tune again! Thanks to John Ricci and his quartet for the inspiration.
The title track Holding Time swings from the top while seemingly changing from 5/4, 4/4 and then 6/4. John Ricci takes the melody, bringing the tune back to 4/4. There is something about this setting that reminds me of so many classic ECM recordings done in Oslo. Bowlus cascades his fingers across the keys while Thronton and Miles chug along and swing hard throughout.
Read MoreRenowned mouthpiece maker Theo Wanne recently launched Theo Wanne Classic Mouthpieces at TheoWanne.com. This new Wanne endeavor, run by Theo and brother Tom, replaced MouthpieceHeaven.com one year ago. The original website and shop was a haven for vintage mouthpiece connoisseurs and players seeking quality refacing on pieces of any kind. I was also a customer when Theo’s shop was located in Philadelphia. It is worth noting that the majority of the pieces I play on today all have had Theo’s touch applied to them.
The following review is on the new line of KALI mouthpieces however I will add some comments on the PARVATI I tried as well. For those looking for honesty and an unbiased review, I will try to be both. We are all undoubtedly looking for honesty here. My admiration and respect for Theo’s work is documented here as well as in the previous review of his AMMA mouthpieces.
Last week I received four KALI and one PARVATI via FedEx. These were loaned to me for the purpose of my opinion and review. The four pieces were a Rhodium 7*, Rhodium 8, Gold 7* and Gold 8. I am pleased to tell you that the KALI of my choice passed every test with flying colors!
In terms of overall sound, the gold KALI were a better match for me and my 1969 Mark VI. The playability of all four pieces was superb. After extensive play-testing with the same reed as well as many different reeds I came to a conclusion that the 7* and 8 in gold both had their unique charm. The 7* was the most comfortable piece for me when used with my standard choice of Java 3 reeds. The subtoned low Bb all the way into the extreme altissimo was all easy to achieve. Additionally, the resistance vs. free blowing nature of the piece seemed to be in keeping with the modified Links, Dukoffs and Guardalas I have played over the years. The KALI 8 on the other hand was just a SCREAMER! It took more air and I favored a softer Java 3 to compensate. The end result was a fat, warm, robust tenor sound with a similar ease of playing as the 7*.
When compared to my Theo Wanne Custom Links, which is the only direct comparison I made, the KALI sounded more spread and was clearer with less noise in the sound. This was particularly noticeable at lower volumes. The 7* had the sound and feel closest to my modified NY Link. The 8 had a sound with plenty of projection and just as big as a house! Recorded on a cheap tape deck, laptop computer and studio micing – the gold KALI both sounded like me – just a warmer, more focused me. Although the sound of the KALI is very warm, there is an abundance of edge available when pushed.
Read MoreJazz Etudes for Saxophone Level 3 by Randy Hunter (24 Swing & Bop Studies for Tenor and Alto) Atlanta based saxophonist Randy Hunter has released his book and CD set, Jazz Etudes for Saxophone Level 3. Mr. Hunter recently...
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