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Greetings from Ireland

audsnire

Member
Messages
15
Locality
Wicklow, Ireland
Hi all,

My name is Audrey and I'm from Ireland. I've recently taken up playing alto saxophone, (about a year and a half ago). I'm a late bloomer, so any adivce and tips re playing are all welcome. I play a yanagisawa A902 (my pride and joy) and love jazz.

My love of jazz began in my teens/early twenties when I bagan to attend jazz gigs all around Dublin with my dad. I've always loved the saxophone and have wanted to play one since then. My one regret is not learning to play sooner. My favorite sax player at the moment is Stan Getz (Yeah, I know he played tenor!!) I absolutely love the bossa nova stuff. Always open to suggestions on other artists etc. as my knowledge is quite limited.

I've become a member to pick up some tips/advice on both playing techniques and equipment and also to enjoy the general discussions. Whenever I do google searches this forum always yields results, so it was just a matter of time before I got sucked in!!

That's it from me....

Audrey ;}
 
Big welcome from me. Have fun here! Lovely part of the world you live in!
 
Hi Audrey!

A Big Welcome to Cafe Sax from the Skabertawe Lites, down by yer in South wales, mind! Well done on finally getting an alto and Stan Getz is a decent player, even if he could not play Alto, just a good old Tenor Sax.

So, do you have lessons? What mouthpiece/ligature/reeds do you use - I imagine you started off with the Yani HR piece that might have come with the sax.

Apart from Bossa Nova what other types of jazz/music do you like/hope to play on sax? One of my alto sax heroes is Gilad Atzmon, who I've seen several times, along with Matt Wates, Kevin Figes and others. I'm a late bloomer, but love it and came to realise why I did not really stick at it when younger - too much classical music, classical teachers, orchestras and similar stuff, and no music of any direct interest to my life at the time - glad its different now and learning can be far more self determined.

Kind regards
Tom
 
Hi Audrey and welcome, Try a little Art Pepper (Art Pepper meets the ryrhm Section album} One of the masters of the alto. In a more melodic mood he recorded (Winter Moon with strings. Album) Best regards.N
 
Top o the afternoon to ya Audrey, hope you enjoy the site. The only other person I know called Audrey works in my company's Dublin office, I guess it's a popular name over there as my company has 3000 people and the only other Audrey's are French surnames.
 
Thanks everyone for the welcome comments.

Tom, I actually started on a very cheap alto sax (windsor) and quickly realised I'd need something better so upgraded as soon as I could ( I have my yani about a year now). I am indeed using the HR mouthpiece that came with it (size 6) with a vandoren optimum ligature and V16 reeds (size 2 or 2.5). I did get lessons originally but have had to give them up for now, so I'm working alone at the moment. I tend to use a lot of playalongs!! I'm afraid I haven't even heard of any of the players you've mentioned. I'll be getting busy on youtube later!! I've been kinda stuck on Stan Getz. I just love his smoooooth tone!!


Navarro, thanks for the heads up on Art Pepper. I do have the Art Pepper meets the Rythm Section album but not the Winter Moon with strings. I have a feeling I will like that (judging by the name of it!). I've actually just ordered the charlie parker with strings album too so hopefully they'll inspire me some more!!

QWales, what a coincidence. I have a French surname too!! C'est Bizarre!! I always thought that Audrey was an English name. I wonder??
 
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Welcome Audrey from another late starter :)

Enjoy the cafe

Jx
 
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Hi, and welcome to the mad house, lots of good advice and tips on here. Interestingly I was over your way a few days ago, My mom lives in Ballylanders and I drive through Wicklow to get there.

Good to have you "on board"



Martin
 
And a warm welcome from me in a very wet miserable day in Liverpool :)

Enjoy your journey
 
Hi Audrey,
Glad you got sucked in. Just don't get spat out too soon. Can you play the diddly-eye music on your alto? I'll get me banjo!
Andy
 
Hi Audrey,

A sunny welcome from NE Scotland, from another late-starter!
Enjoy the cafe,

Cheers,

Amanda
 
Hello Audrey welcome to the cafe. I used to holiday in Ireland and I remember that touring through the Wicklow Mountains was nice nice nice.

Jim.
 
Welcome to the caff©, Audrey.

Only managed halfway to your country, the IOM.:)

ENJOY!​™
 
Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to welcome me to the forum.

Martin, I hope you got some decent weather when you were here.

Jim, the Wicklow mountains are indeed quite beautiful, particularly when the sun shines.

Old Git, I've done a few holidays in the IOM myself when I was a kid. Fond memories!

Thanks Amanda and Jeanette for the greetings. Good to see there are some other female late starters to bounce ideas off ;}

Trimmy, weather here is miserable too. Good excuse to get the sax out and practice!

Andy, can't play didly-eye music but do a mean rendition of river dance. Usually brings a smile to people's faces. My son in particular loves to see his mam make an eejit of herself!! He used to stick his fingers in his ears when I started to play the sax. He tolerates it quite well now!! Progress!
 
Welcome from a fellow countryman.
If you're interested in jazz, Newpark school is not too far a trek from Wicklow, East or west can make a difference. I did an evening class there but had to give it up last year. Hoping to go back in autumn.

The first ever gig I went to was Stan Getz in the Olympia. Too long ago to remember if it was any good, but I know I didn't appreciate drum solos...
 
Hi Audrey, I live up the road from you in Belfast & play first Tenor in the Belfast Jazz Orchestra - We have a trombone player who travels from Co. Monaghan to play along with us on gig's! Hope you enjoy the Cafe.
 
Hey Audrey,

I live in Carlow Ireland and I also teach from a school there! You can't go wrong with the Yani setup and their mpc's are super too. As an Alto player I would advise getting some Charlie Parker stuff there's loads of it out there.. I'm sure I could email you a selection of Parker tunes that will really develop your playing. Paul Desmond is another Bossa style alto player that comes to mind, his stuff is easier to play than Parkers. But please do leave your self open to the various styles that are available. I, like yourself totally fell in love with Getz's music when I started. I'm now hooked on Jan Garbarek, so styles will change, it's a beautiful musical voyage you're on so keep on it. Bty I teach at a very competitive rate from Carlow, I'm not sure of your location but if you're near you can; you can contact me through this site. All the best and it's great to hear from another Irish player.

Rgds,

M
 
Welcome to the cafe Audrey. It would appear that we are building quite a large Irish following. Top of the morning to you all.
 
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