The Coltrane Changes always feel like a surprise. 😄 The melody navigates them so well. It’s pretty difficult to come up with something that equals that and yet not sound the same. 

have a nice day!

For October's Challenge: Get really comfortable with this II-V-I

For a submission, play it a few times along with me. If up for it, also play it (same tempo) in 1 or 2 other keys (share your choice(es) in your post).

Next month we'll incorporate it into a Coltrane song—in a different key—in which you'll transcribe the melody, and then implement this line into the changes.

I invite you to transcribe the line by ear, but then take a look at the PDF breakdown. Pay close attention to the chord stacks and how they are voice-led. Try playing constant triplets up/down through them, with slight accents on 2 & 4.

Deadline: Nov 1. As always, aim to keep submissions ≤60 secs.

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for our new Stablemates, here's a quick primer on how best to share your video submissions

Thank you for your insight very useful information I appreciate you taking the time to share this with me. I like your suggestions on finding 4 to 6 good reeds ready to pkay on a gig. I also like the suggestion of marking my favorites and rotating them. 

Thank you

Johnny Sax

My name is Mike Cheney. I live in North Conway, NH, and work as a nurse practitioner and medical researcher. My favorite instrument to play is the alto sax. I also have a soprano and a tenor—the tenor is currently in storage, but I’m planning to retrieve it early next year.

I started playing alto around age 9 or 10, switched to tenor for a year to play in my high school jazz band, and then returned to alto and soprano for my last two years of high school and first year of college. After that, I basically stopped playing, only pulling out the horn once or twice a year.

I’m 53 now and have reduced my work hours enough to make time for playing sax again, and I love it. In July, I had my Mark VI alto repadded, and I’ve been playing every day since. I’ve also joined a community band and am on the substitute list for a community big band.

Even before I discovered Bob Reynolds’s YouTube videos, my plan was to start transcribing. As a kid, I played a lot of published solo transcriptions but never transcribed anything myself or played along with the recordings. At Stanford Jazz Camp in 1991, I attended a class taught by Hal Galper. He advocated transcribing in general and specifically recommended “Giant Steps” as a good overview of jazz vocabulary. I didn’t do it at the time, but the idea has stayed with me all these years. (I haven't tried transcribing Giant Steps yet).

I was excited to discover Bob’s YouTube videos, and the first thing I ended up transcribing was the melody from Wynton Marsalis’s recording of “Flamingo,” including some cool little melodic turns.

I’m really excited to be part of the “Stable” and to continue growing as a saxophonist and jazz player!

As for listening, my longtime favorites include Charlie Parker, Phil Woods, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Dexter Gordon. I’m also just starting to discover Chris Potter and Joshua Redman.

Looking forward to learning with you all!

Mike

But fortunately, at least for me, I very rarely have to throw away a reed.

I also rotate reeds. I have 4 that I’m happy with at any given time plus a few getting ready on the ‘subs bench’. The current best 4 are kept in a reed case, whilst the subs just live in the boxes. I tend to buy boxes of 10 and have a quick sort out when I get a new box, to identify the ones that are good to go, those that need a bit of work and the planks. Hopefully not too many of the latter! 

Another thing that I learned from a couple of teachers is that as long as a reed's table is completely flat (do the pop test) and the side rails have +/- even resistance, the reed will play. It does not mean that it will be your favorite reed, but it will play. 

Therefore, I always have 4-6 reeds that I make sure are completely flat, and I balance the sides if necessary with a reed geek (you can use Ridenour's sandpaper tool, or reed rush, or a Vandoren stick or whatever you like, they all do the same). I have them in strict rotation for my everyday playing. Of course, if I have any important playing date, then I look for my favorite reed.

Not long ago, I started marking/rotating them. The game changer for me to do so was to buy a good reed box with a capacity of 10 reeds (I have the universal reed case from D'addario, which is compact and easily fits in my sax case). Once in a while I test them all, mark the good ones and remove the bad ones, and add new ones. 

A week or so before an important gig, I take the time to sort them out and find the best one, and I play only that one up to the gig. The best one is not necessarily the best all over, but the best corresponding to the sound I want for that gig. I will not choose the same one if I play some smooth jazz in a bossa band, or if I play jazz-rock. To help with the choice, I note down on the reed itself the type of sound it gives (bright/dark) and its resistance (hard/easy to play). 

davebo said

TonyG said
I decided to attend the Inside/Outside Saxophone Camp over and over and over which has been a life altering experience.

Hey Tony!  Another Inside:Outsider...I'm glad you took the plunge!  There's a few of us here.  Great to have you.  See ya around the studio.
Dave Bolender
  

Geez I guess they let just anyone join 😜 Welcome Tony - I too look forward to seeing you here - and on the Woodshed porch again next August! 

When you find a good reed; do you only play that reed until it dies?

Or

Do you find three of four good reeds and rotate them?

And do you practice with you good reeds or only save them for gigs?

All input is welcome. 

Thank you

Johnny Sax

TonyG said
I decided to attend the Inside/Outside Saxophone Camp over and over and over which has been a life altering experience.

Hey Tony!  Another Inside:Outsider...I'm glad you took the plunge!  There's a few of us here.  Great to have you.  See ya around the studio.

Dave Bolender

I've been playing saxophone for about 7 years with the last 5 years dedicating more time to this. My main instrument is the tenor saxophone though recently I've been building up my chops with the soprano. 

I've been with Dr Wally at the Saxophone Academy for about 5 years, and made steady progress from beginner to a more intermediate player. I'm hoping to keep this progress going, and its time for new challenges. I have a background in playing trombone and piano from man years ago. The saxophone is the place to be, though....

Currently listening to Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter, but always have time for Getz's lyricism.

Looking forward to hearing from the Stablemates.

Neil

I'm also shedding quite a bit in preparation for a tough saxophone exam. Improvising over a tune in all keys is hard, y'all. But it gets easier.