Beginner Squeak on Register change

ArgoPete

Senior Member
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31
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Lilydale, Tasmania, Australia
Hi I hope somebody can clarify something that has bugged me for over 50 years. I saw Count Basie in Birmingham (the real one not Alabama) around 1961. A Sax player took a solo and as he went up a register there was what I can only describe as a loud squeak which I thought sounded awful. However I was totally blown away by the professionalism of the band/orchestra because from then on as he flew through the notes at that precise moment there was a similar pitch blast from the trumpet section.
What was going on?
 
Maybe you had to be there at the time...and in 1961 I wasn't even born...maybe the sax player was playing an altissimo note or maybe a wrong note and the trumpet section was covering up by joining in...I wouldn't worry about it especially after over 50 years has passed...:w00t:

Have a couple of beers and play ya sax...:rofl:

Greg S.
 
Who was the soloist, Carney? Hodges?....

My alto was throwing a squeak yesterday. An occasional altissimo G or A while hitting D2. It went away with a different reed.

I would like to think the trumpets or the soloist had a sense of humour but it may have been in the arrangement..
 
A Sax player took a solo and as he went up a register there was what I can only describe as a loud squeak which I thought sounded awful.

I guess we all suffer from the occasional squeak, even the best. I have CDs by Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan, both of whom qualify for "Saxophone God" status. Guess what? You can hear both of them squeak from time to time, particularly Getz. If I could sound like him, I'd put up with the occasional odd noise.
 
There's a squeak or two on JC's "My favourite things". :)
 
Thank you all. Just listened to JC's ""My Favourite Things" again. Those trills around 2 minutes are magic to me. Sadly 50 years ago my musical understanding was negative, sitting listening was not my thing - suffice to say that girls, jiving and drum solos were my raison d'être, and yes I do remember the drumsticks sailing in great arcs over Basie's drummers head.
However as I scratch together my hard-earned to invest in a tenor (obviously another Ben Webster in the making :) ) I am seriously considering many things and something so apparently wrong has stuck with me. I am now aware that having 4 trumpets is so that one can compose chords for them and the fact that they jumped in on the second and subsequent squeaks screamed professional to me. Hearing that others suffer occasionally makes me feel better.
 

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