Great Players Don Menza - an education

[dooce]

Do you really need all those mouthpieces? Listen to this guy - one sax, one piece, and he can be whoever you want him to be.

http://www.cannonballmusic.com/don1.php

 

[Filton]

Really interesting to watch and listen to, thanks for posting the link

 

[thomsax]

Nice clip. Menza can play in the style of Coltrane, Getz ... but tonewise??

That this mean we pay too much attentions to teachers or other persons? Devolpe your own style!

I met to "brass-pedagogue" the other year. After doing some exercises he told me that the trombone was the right windinstrument for me. So I've been playing sax for over 40 years without knowing! He told me also that I'm using and playing my sax as I was playing trumpet or trombone. Maybe this expalin why it so hard to seperate from my Conn trombone?!?!?!

Thomas

 

[les3716]

What a blast dooce, This boy is good!

 

[O.C.V.]

Saw Don Menza with the Woody Herman band in late 70's. He had hair then and was blowing like mad. He was obviously the band's MD at that time, Woody was in failing health although he was still playing some feasome clarinet.
Regarding tone, I think its important to know what sort of sound you want and find a setup which allows you to produce it. We wont all be able to play with Menza's flexibility, producing different tones from one sax/mp/reed combination.
Thanks for the link.
O.C.V.

 

[dooce]

I think its important to know what sort of sound you want and find a setup which allows you to produce it. We wont all be able to play with Menza's flexibility, producing different tones from one sax/mp/reed combination.
Thanks for the link.
O.C.V.

Couldn't agree more. My point in posting this link was just to reinforce, in the sometimes GAS-dominated discussions that we get on this board, that it just ain't the hardware you play, it's what you do with it.