Introduction Hello

[mark_addy]

Hello. I am new to this forum, having joined to ask a question about playing high notes on a very old bari - and I was asked to introduce myself here. I live in the UK, and have returned to playing after 20 years of bringing kids up and having too much else to do. I got a seat a couple of years back in an amateur big band by the bare fact of owning a baritone; I bought it in this hope, very cheap, just before we had kids. I try not to think about how much better I might have been had I practiced 🙂
cheers
Mark

 

[Jeanette]

Welcome, hope you get your answers

Jx

 

[Ghr9204]

Welcome to the forum, @mark_addy , glad to see another bari player join us. Looking forward to your future posts!

 

[peedeeblues]

We all probably could have practiced more. Focus on the future and practice. It’s the only way out-never too late. And oh yea welcome to the site!

 

[Canuck_alto]

Welcome!

 

[mark_addy]

Thanks folks, that's really friendly of you - it's nice to be in company. I taught myself when I was a kid on an old 'Lewin' (Martin?) alto my Dad had once tried to play, and I've always been kind-of on my own. I'm from the era when discovering Jamie Aebersold (sp?) play-along LPs was a bit of a thing (though they were expensive and from the US, so I only owned a couple) along with playing Charlie Parker compilation LPs at 16rpm to try to work out what was going on. The amount of stuff there is online now is remarkable; about as remarkable as how little of it I have found time to engage with! My younger daughter went away to university just now, so I imagine I might fill the coming cold winter nights with auditory abuse of my neighbours. Thanks again for your welcome.

 

[Grumps]

Was a big fan of your work in Atlantis.

 

[mark_addy]

Was a big fan of your work in Atlantis.

Ah, that made me scratch my head a bit! I have heard of the actor, but I'm useless with films and TV. I use the screen name because of this bloke, who was a local hero where I've spent most of my adult life living. He had a pub near here, and we share the same Christian name.

Mark Addy (oarsman) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Jeanette]

Gosh I remember the Mark Addy pub in town. Small world!

 

[mark_addy]

His original (Victorian) pub was somewhere near the bridge where Regent Road crosses the Irwell (at the end of the mancunian way) - there's a casino there now I think. But yes, I remember the pub near Salford Central Station - massive lump of bread and cheese, pint, away you go. A shame that flooding shut it. Where in Cheshire are you, J? There's quite a few big bands it seems; I was unaware, but the bloke who runs our one was telling me a bit about the scene.

 

[Jeanette]

I'm in Cheadle Hulme.

Jx

 

[mark_addy]

Oh! I live in Whalley Range, and work in Salford. My first 'real' job was on the industrial estate in Cheadle where Galt's toys used to be - perhaps you know it. A long time ago we used to go to the White Swan in Ladybarn to listen to the bebop quartet - I wonder if you remember that.

 

[PigSquealer]

Hello.
I'm new here, and have read this thread with interest. I have other mechanical interests (motorbikes, museum work on vintage steam / gas / diesel engines etc), and I have a reasonably-equipped workshop (little lathe and miller, oxy-propane gear etc) - but I've never got very far working on instruments. Would you (OP) be open to making the odd contribution to a newbie DIY thread? I know a lot of people would shy off that with a 'don't do that, you'll wreck it' feeling, which I understand - but, for instance, how do you get enough heat into a body tube to solder a pillar back on (and using...electrical solder (v.soft), plumber's solder (less soft), lead-free modern stuff (less-soft again) or ...? ) without neighbouring pillars falling off, solder running everywhere, etc etc? That's the kind of thing I'd like to experiment with. cheers, Mark

Welcome to the Café. It would be my pleasure to help anyway I can. Helping each other is exactly what this community is all about.
Do start your DIY project thread !

 

[Jeanette]

Oh! I live in Whalley Range, and work in Salford. My first 'real' job was on the industrial estate in Cheadle where Galt's toys used to be - perhaps you know it. A long time ago we used to go to the White Swan in Ladybarn to listen to the bebop quartet - I wonder if you remember that.

Definitely knew Galts toys, used to live in Cheadle. I don't recall the White Swan 🙂

Jx

 

[MikeMorrell]

Thanks folks, that's really friendly of you - it's nice to be in company. I taught myself when I was a kid on an old 'Lewin' (Martin?) alto my Dad had once tried to play, and I've always been kind-of on my own. I'm from the era when discovering Jamie Aebersold (sp?) play-along LPs was a bit of a thing (though they were expensive and from the US, so I only owned a couple) along with playing Charlie Parker compilation LPs at 16rpm to try to work out what was going on. The amount of stuff there is online now is remarkable; about as remarkable as how little of it I have found time to engage with! My younger daughter went away to university just now, so I imagine I might fill the coming cold winter nights with auditory abuse of my neighbours. Thanks again for your welcome.

Welcome to the cafe from me in NL, Mark!

Up until my late 40's, I'd only ever played guitar. Pretty much self-taught. Your story about playing along along with LP's (and LP's at16 rpm!) reminded me of my own 'self-learning experience' First - in my teens - trying (desperately) to play an old, cheap and battered electric guitar to (rock) LP's. Later - at university - trying to learn some (Leonard Cohen) 'fingerpicking patterns' and solo's. By then, using 'taped LP's'. By constantly rewinding and replaying 'sections of tape' to' try to work out what was going on'. So my thanks for reviving these memories for me from 60 years ago!

Most of what I've learned about playing sax, I've learned from - and via - the cafe. You're right that "it's nice to be in company". My personal experience over the past 15 years or so is that I've always valued - and still do value - the cafe sax 'community'

I truly hope that you enjoy (and perhaps benefit from) your participation in the cafe!

Mike

 

[Grumps]

Ah, that made me scratch my head a bit! I have heard of the actor, but I'm useless with films and TV.

Well, from a vast body of work, Atlantis was probably the worst thing he was ever in. Incredibly bad television show that couldn't even keep its own story straight. Unintentionally hilarious though, and I didn't miss an episode of its brief run.

 

[PigSquealer]

I am new to this forum, having joined to ask a question about playing high notes on a very old bari

I’m curious as to how you found & chose to join the Café. What information attracted you to join ?

 

[mark_addy]

I'd found two apparently active fora online (from googling things about potential purchases that never happened, mostly), and asked my question on both. This one seems what people where I live call friendly-like, which is not to disparage the other one where a few folks have also 'reached out' (as my kids might say... 🙂 ).

 

[skeller047]

I'd found two apparently active fora online (from googling things about potential purchases that never happened, mostly), and asked my question on both. This one seems what people where I live call friendly-like, which is not to disparage the other one where a few folks have also 'reached out' (as my kids might say... 🙂 ).

You made a good choice. I like that ‘reached out’ …. “Out” being the operative word…

I’m active on both sites, but I like this one better.