Today I'm blogging about a nice clarinet reference site called Clarinet Perfection. My good friend and a moderator on the Woodwind Forum runs this site. It has a lot reference information on clarinets that can't be found anywhere else on the Internet.

If you are interested in clarinet makes, dates, and accoutrements you might want to take a peek at this resource.

Luv this piece that I got in the e-mail this morning.  :o)

Give one pause to think, no?     

From the always interesting Oberloh Brass Works site are vintage images of the C. G. Conn band instrument factory from 1911.

Now most instruments are made overseas because of the high cost of labor in the U.S. You can read more about the Conn Music Instrument story here.

I caught the tale end of this piece on NPR this morning and thought I'd share it with my saxophone luvin' friends out there. The Taiwanese have come a long way from making the saxes you loved to hate to making some very decent instruments. When they started they were making copies of vintage horns such as those in this chart. Now they make modern instruments with better materials and ergonomics.

" Morning Edition, February 25, 2008 - Taiwan has etched out a reputation as high-tech hardware store to the world. Its economy has boomed as companies churn out components for famous global electronics brands. But this country of 23 million has quietly garnered a chunk of the world market in a very different product: saxophones.

Virginia music store owner Kevin Landes plays a saxophone that dates back to 19th-century Paris. French saxophones are still the gold standard today. But the horn Landes is cooking on next wasn't made in France.

"You would never have thought of Taiwanese instruments trying to inch into the pro territory. But they are. And they are making some really nice horns."

Read or listen to more...

Heard on the work music alias: Easiest way to make a million in the music business? Start with 2 million.

When I started looking to acquire C Melody Saxophone, I had visions of looking over Suzy's shoulder as she played the piano. You see these instruments were designed in the early 1900s (1910 - 30s) for the amateur to use in the home. So they were pitched in the key of C like the piano. The saxes you are used to are pitched in sop, tenor, bass - Bb and sopranino, alto, and bari in Eb. There were some odd balls like the F mezzo soprano sax and such too.

So a beginner could play the instrument well enough by reading the top line of a piano score. But the Depression hit in the 20s and pretty much helped kill the the instrument. I could imagine a pump organ and a C melody being the main instruments in a prairie home. Maybe with a guitar and some singing.

So I did some research and found that the Conn C Melody straight-neck arguably had the best intonation of the available instruments. I'd love to get one of the 20 or so C Melody's that Vito made in the 60s, but that's not gonna happen anytime soon. Well I purchased a Conn C Melody and my son liked it so much that I gave it to him. Then I started anew with another beater that I had refurbished by Sarge of Worldwide Sax in Everett. So those are the pictures you are seeing in this blog.

Next I proceeded to look for a mouthpiece that would make the instrument speak. You see I am an amateur musician and every instrument I acquire I have to learn to voice, get a great mouthpiece and figure out a good reed story. But I didn't every really get a finish to that journey as shortly thereafter I started learning to play the bass clarinet. So this particular instrument hasn't made it into the rotation of saxes I play on a regular basis.

The instrument has a unique sound and as such is very interesting. And there are a lot of professional musicians and hobbyists who can really make the instrument speak. So take a listen at Dan Higgins a professional reed player.

Kind makes you want to pull the ol' C Melody sax out and give it a toot, eh? If you want to read and talk more about the C Melody instruments which include the soprano sax too, visit the 'Home of the C' and say hi to my good friend Alan.

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Can you dig it? I *knew* you could...

Pianists: Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino
Musical director : Paul Shaffer (David Letterman's "Late show" band leader)
Guitars :
- Carl Perkins (author/creator of "Blue suede shoes", "Matchbox)
- Ron Wood (plays in "Jeff Beck group", "Small faces" & "Faces" with Rod Stewart , replaces Mick Taylor in the "Rolling Stones")
Bass : Donald "Duck" Dunn ("Booker T. & the MGs", "Blues Brothers")
Drums : Steve Jordan ("Blues Brothers")

Hit replay brothers and sisters. It doesn't get better than this.  :o)

The New York Times reports that 'Half of UK Men Would Swap Sex For a 50 Inch TV'. Excuse me, really? Guys what's up? Not only is good sex healthy, it can promote the closeness and intimacy that is an essential part of any good marriage. I have to say though, I loved this quote, "A quarter of people said they would give up smoking, with roughly the same proportion willing to give up chocolate."

If you're a true beginner to exercise or have not exercised in decades, starting a health and fitness program is a daunting task. Here is a plan that will get you started on the right track for the long term. For me it's about keeping fitness in everything you do such as doing crunches during TV ads, using the stairs at work, and walking the dog nightly. If you can't walk up four flights of stairs without serious breathing exertion, I continue you have an exercise problem.

I was talking to a friend about my 30 year old Trek bicycle hanging in the garage. I used to be an avid bicyclist. Lately I have not done any strenuous exercise. Maybe this post is more for me than it is for you. Happy Friday!

"Be who you are and say what you feel because the people who mind don't matter and the people who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

My niece is in the middle of this pic but based on what we were talking about today, hall monitors for the uninitiated, this seemed appropriate.

This (from xkcd) is going around at work so I thought I'd share it with y'all.

Like a new friend of mine recently noted, what kind of person volunteers to be a hall monitor? I think that takes a very special kind of person who is probably someone I don't want to know. I've been reported to the Windows Live team for vulgarity once. The item in question was of a painted lady made up to look like a dollar bill. And it was small enough I didn't think most people would notice that all she had on was paint. But alas, I was both wrong and reported. Imagine my shame.  ;o)

I guess my two Bengals decided that they liked my office chair.

So I grudgingly went to bother Suzy.  :o)

I have been long toying with the purchase of a Conn F Mezzo soprano saxophone. So I was very excited when this one was listed this month:

"Up for auction is a RARE 1928 Conn F Mezzo Soprano Sax. Sometimes described as F altos, these saxes have a very interesting history that began in the mid-1920s and ended shortly after. Most of the F saxes ended up in Conn's repair facility as test horns that were intentionally damaged and then repaired by Conn technicians. For more about the history go here: http://www.classicsax.com/asi/falto.pdf.

This may have been one of those "test" horns as it has a port added to the neck for what I can on imagine was a microphone. It is covered by a cap and seals perfectly, and therefore has no effect on its playability. This saxophone is plated with satin silver and has a light gold wash in the bell. The plating is in near perfect condition and shows almost no signs of wear other than some missing plating near the neck cork (from an overly aggressive cork replacement, I think), and a small amount of tarnish that could easily be polished off. There is also a number engraved above the serial number that may have been a previous owner's identification number. I have tried to show all of the horn's blemishes in the pictures. There are no major dents or scratches to speak of...this horn is really in near perfect shape.

Included is a brand new hard rubber F Mezzo-Soprano mouthpiece that I just acquired through JJ Babbitt (the makers of Otto Link, Meyer and many more) as well as a modified Protec trumpet case. I do not have the original mouthpiece or case. It has been through a repair shop recently and doesn't need any pads, corks or felts. It is ready to play right out of the box." - author's name removed at his request.

It sold yesterday for $4,650.00 to a bidder called jmichaelleonard. J. Michael Leonard is a world-famous saxophone player who will actually use this instrument as it was really meant to be used. That is if the buyer really is J. Michael because in this day and times anyone can use anyone's name.I must admit that I do have a rare F Mezzo sax mouthpiece just in case I ever get a chance to play one. And one of the most successful eBay instrument sellers, QuinnTheEskimo, lets me know when he has interesting instruments for sale, like the Conn-o-sax that I got to play last year. Sweet!

I stumbled across a rather fair and balanced discussion about Nudity in the Home that has just the right amount of humor for my tastes. Interestingly enough it was in the education part of that newspaper. Having just watched V is for Vendetta for the first time and listening to the religious-right republicans (remember, I'm a preacher's kid), it struck me that there are many joys in life that are labeled as evil or wrong.

My fav two quotes:

Telegraph, UK: "It's hard to rise above direct comments about a Rubenesque shape. "Mummy," said a friend's five-year-old admiringly as her mother left the bath, "what a big bottom!" "I think I cover up more now that the children are teenagers," says another mum, "but that's more for their sake than mine.

and

"What's most important is to pass on the idea that 'My body is OK' and 'Whatever I am is fine', because the opposite message is so very harmful." In these days of cosmetic surgery and airbrushed pictures, you can't emphasise too much that bodies come in all shapes and sizes. But don't feel you have to strip off to prove it. After all, as TS Eliot once nearly said, your children might not be able to bear that much reality."

Growing up I saw my siblings and parents in various states of undress periodically. But we didn't walk around the home very much that way. Now, unless it's really hot, clothing is very comforting. And we have air conditioning.  :o)

This part of the article just made me laugh:

The bare essentials

Reasons to go nude:

• It's natural

• It's the best way to clean the shower

• Fake tan dries more easily

• You don't need to buy dressing-gowns

Reasons to cover up:

• It saves on heating bills

• You might embarrass the children

• Clothes express personality

• Mobile phones take pictures these days

Okay, well just kinda...

A friend IM’d me (from the Netherlands) to tell me I’ve been ValleyWag’d at http://valleywag.com/356567/bill-gatess-real-facebook-profile-revealed. It's the third time someone has said something like, I was looking at Bill Gate's facebook profile and saw you listed as on of his friends.

I wonder who run's Bill's facebook profile? Okay, maybe that's just the cynic in me talkin' now.  :o)

Still, it is a little bit of coolness for an otherwise boring Friday at work..

This article in various forms has been posted this week at different sites and forums. This particular version is the best I have seen yet:

By KENNETH CHANG, February 12, 2008

"The saxophone, invented by Adolphe Sax, the Belgian instrument maker, and patented in 1846, is a curved tube of brass with holes. Its vibrations can reach high-pitched wailing notes, particularly when played by jazz musicians like John Coltrane.

The vocal tract, including the mouth and upper throat, is another vibrating tube, and for some years, scientists and musicians have wondered how important the one is to the other."

Read more ...

The high notes also known as altissimo require the ability to voice the note and alternative fingerings. Maybe the definition of a professional saxophonist would not be just whether you get paid for gigs, but rather whether you can hit altissimo notes? I'm starting to feel that for a saxophonist to advance you must have the opinion that nothing is impossible on the instrument.

Some of my favorite sax players who can really hit the altissimo's:

Lenny Pickett
Bert Wilson (Lenny's private teacher for many years)
Donny Mccasslin
Chris Potter
Chris Speed
Rick Margitza
Joshua Redman

For a graphic example check out YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaBGW3CaQR0 where Marc Russo was playing up there with excellent control...check out 3.56 and 4.41..

The article goes on to say that they are now testing clarinets. Ah, the science of music.

Some would say Domino's isn't really pizza. It is a a plain jane pizza for those of us who don't have especially sophisticated tastes. But this new BFD (big freakin' deal in polite parlance) is a very nice way to order pizza. It's just that easy. Kudos to Phil Richardson for finding it first.

I am really into the David Hattner series of videos. Stellar resource: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=David+Hattner&search=Search Turn up the volume and enjoy.
I discovered the Buzzing Read blog and although there could be a lot more I've loving what I find like the topic Organic Rhythm.

"Great musicians can play a phrase of music with incredible rhythmic accuracy, and yet never quite match up with a metronome. Great chamber groups and even whole orchestras can do the same. It’s obviously a lot harder for the latter, but with years of experience and trust among players, a larger group can be free and stay together rhythmically.

One form of freedom is called “rubato”, which means “to steal or borrow” time from one part of the phrase to add to another. The total sum of time is the same as the metronomic phrase, but with much greater freedom. That kind of phrasing says keeps the listener interested with its unpredictable freedom. The player can then emphasize the natural tension and relaxation and explore the infinite possibilities with each repeated phrase or section of music."

I showed up to find record crowds. Last year there were only a third of the people compared to this year. That doesn't include the people who gave up after a half hour of waiting in line after the caucus was to open. There weren't enough chairs and there were not enough volunteers to handle the crowds. As I finished the paperwork and moved to where my caucus was supposed to be, there was no one there. After about twenty minutes people started showing up. I recognized the first trio who showed up as they were the neighbors with the cool dog Max. 17 people eventually showed up, five of which I recognized.

During the preliminary speeches I noticed this fellow recording the speeches. So after the event I asked him if he was going to post this to YouTube. He said he would as soon as he got home and told me what keywords we was going to use so that it would be easy for me to find the video. Here it is from a fellow who goes by RedBeardMathPirate.

The video demonstrates the average Joe and Josie participating. I was happy to meet new neighbors and be a part of the process. I did note that I was the only person who attended the last election caucuses. I also wondered about a caucus that could not be attended by anyone who worked on Saturday. There's go to be a better way. Don't forget to take a look at the other video that RedBeard posted which was taken at the Obama event Friday morning that filled the Sonic's stadium.

Where to start. I'm simply flabbergasted; how does he do it. Here's a transcription of John Coltrane's chorus "Blue Train". It is transcribed and played by Benoît Sauvé with the Recorder (Flûte à bec/Flauta Doce/Blockflöte). If Benoît can do this on a recorder, imagine how easy it is for him on tenor sax.

I'll never look at a recorder the same again.  ;o)