I've been playing mainly alto for maybe 5 years. I have listened to a lot of music over that time, mainly jazz but also funk, rock, classical, you name it. My sound has seemed (through no conscious effort) to lean towards that kind of Konitz/Desmond kind, with a bit of Cannonball thrown in when I'm in the mood. I recently bought a Philtone Solstice mouthpiece (the "West Coast" one), since that semed to be the way my sound was going anyway. It's a great piece, and it certainly can produce that kind of sound more than my Yani ebonite, which sounds positively classical by comparison. The thing is my sound seems to change from day to day now - it's always a surprise to me what comes out - sometimes dominated by subtone, sometimes quite neutral - and today - to my surprise - really glass-cutting funk kind of sound - I shouldn't complain but it would be nice to be able to control it! I have tried changing reeds, changing mood - I am beginning to suspect it is the way the reed sits on the table - at the same time I bought the Solstice I bought a J Michael lig (skint - seemed like a cheap Rovner copy). I can't see why a different lig would make a difference - read Pete Thomas on the subject - so is it just me? Have thought of buying one of those glass/emery paper sanding kits for reeds - any thoughts?
Yours,
Wannabe Paul Desmond/Maceo Parker. Confused.
Yours,
Wannabe Paul Desmond/Maceo Parker. Confused.