Everything Saxophone Podcast Everything Saxophone Podcast

In this episode, I interviewed classical saxophonist, Chika Inoue.

Chika has been a guest on our show before – links to those episodes are in the show notes below.

Chika has performed with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Brooklyn Metro Chamber Orchestra, and many other orchestras in the United States, as well as internationally at Festivals in Germany, Spain, Japan, Italy and China.

A native of Osaka, Japan, Chika spent most of her youth in Frankfurt, Germany and San Diego, California.

Chika actively looks beyond the standard saxophone repertoire for works that allow the saxophone to shine, continuously transcribing and performing works of violin, clarinet, oboe, flute, voice and piano, expanding the limits of the saxophone technique and artistry.

She is a Conn-Selmer, Vandoren, KeyLeaves and LefreQue endorsing artist.

The last time I spoke with Chika was at the NAMM Show 2020, right before COVID shut everything down.

In this episode, we talked about:

🎷 Her brand new California State University Summer Arts program: “The Art of Classical Saxophone”

🎷 Equipment that she uses, and a recent change

🎷 She modeled the Breathtaking Neck Strap

 

Links to previous interviews with Chika Inoue

Episode 076 – Chika Inoue; Expanding the limits of the saxophone technique and artistry

Chika Inoue at NAMM 2020

 

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And, with their small monthly donation of $2 or more, they help keep the great interviews coming. If you want to become a patron and support the show, head on over to our PATREON site.

In early June, I attended the NAMM Show in Anaheim CA. NAMM stands for National Association of Music Merchants, an organization started in 1901 for companies in the music industry to connect, network and further their businesses.

Music companies often show off their latest products, and endorsed artists appear, sometimes giving impromptu concerts right on the convention floor.

It’s an exciting show – there are so many things going on at once.

Who can attend?

Music industry executives, companies, Artists who are endorsed by companies, and Music educators are the main attendees, but NAMM does allow the general public to attend. It is not free and ticket prices have changed.

If you are ever interested in attending in the future, you can go to www.namm.org for more info.

It can get really noisy on the NAMM Show floor, so it was really tricky trying to get decent audio.

You will hear background noise, for sure, as well as trumpeters and saxophonists, feeling the need to test out their extreme high range too.

But I captured some awesome interviews with Mindi Abair & Theo Wanne, Jody Espina and Danielle Walker from JodyJazz, Jason Whitmore, Joel Peskin & Bob Shephard from Retro Revival, Chika Inoue, Jeff Antoniuk, Jason Whitmore,  Rovner Products, SYOS mouthpieces, Beechler mouthpieces, Melvin Quinones from Growling Sax, Ramon Manas from Travel Sax and more!

All of the NAMM Show 2022 episodes are sponsored by Legere Reeds. (www.legere.com)

In this episode, I interviewed Chris Kortschot from Legere, and we talked about:

🎷 Reed strength recommendations

🎷 Gerald Albright’s reed strength choices

🎷 Rotate or no? That’s the question

🎷 1 tip to soften the Legere reed strength



Video



 

If you want to keep the great interviews coming…

Did you know you can get a complete listing of all our shows, as well as Bonus videos and searchable transcripts? All you need to do is become a Patron!

Patrons play a huge role in helping to defray the costs of storing each episode’s video and audio, and producing and hosting the show.

And, with their small monthly donation of $2 or more, they help keep the great interviews coming. If you want to become a patron and support the show, head on over to our PATREON site.

 

Winner of Horn of the Year from the Blues Music Awards in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2015, Deanna Bogart has been electrifying audiences with her soulful saxophone playing, singing and dazzling keyboards for over 40 years.

She is a bandleader, songwriter, arranger, and produces festivals and other artists.

Deanna is also a sought-after educator/mentor/master classes/creative coach, while nonstop gigging around the globe and playing with stellar musicians everywhere. 

We talked about

🎷How Donna met Deanna & a funny story at a recent gig

🎷How the statement, “Girls can’t play the sax” motivated her to prove her teacher wrong

🎷Tips for leading a band

🎷How playing sax helped her piano playing and singing

🎷Deanna’s practice routine and what she does before each show

🎷How to be confident and play freely

🎷and more

Links

Website: https://www.deannabogart.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deannabogartmusic 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabogartmusic/?hl=en 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6t5gYU75DSRMg97vSwJimG 

Video

 

If you want to keep the great interviews coming…

Did you know you can get a complete listing of all our shows, as well as Bonus videos and searchable transcripts? All you need to do is become a Patron!

Patrons play a huge role in helping to defray the costs of storing each episode’s video and audio, and producing and hosting the show.

And, with their small monthly donation of $2 or more, they help keep the great interviews coming. If you want to become a patron and support the show, head on over to our PATREON site.

A veteran of the international jazz scene, Max Ionata emerged in the early 90s and has performed with many modern greats including Robin Eubanks, Billy Hart, Joe Locke, Mike Stern, Bob Mintzer and compatriot Stefano Di Battista.

For this episode, we did our interview over email, and Donna read the answers aloud for the audio and video podcast.

Here is the interview:

Donna: So I’m curious as to how you got started in music? Were your parents musical? Perhaps you didn’t start on saxophone – when did you start on it?

Max: In my family, there are no musicians or amateurs, and nobody even in the past was a music lover in general, so probably I can be considered an atypical musician 🙂 because every time I compare myself with some colleague I discover that in their families there was someone who played some musical instrument.

I started playing when I was 8 thanks to a Man that in my little village in Italy decided to put together a marching band. In the beginning, he asked us which instrument we would like to play, but in the end, he gave us the instrument he needed in the band! I was very lucky because I asked for a saxophone and he brought a soprano saxophone. In the beginning, I thought it was a trumpet but I was so excited about the new toy that I was looking forward to blowing into it!

Donna: I’m surprised you started on Soprano Saxophone? That’s hard to keep in tune. Can you tell us about those early experiences and how you handled playing it as a beginner? When did you start playing tenor (and alto?)

Max: Actually, it was a challenge for me at that time, I remember that my family and all the neighbors were a bit stressed because I was practicing a lot just to try to play my first notes!

After a few months, the director of the marching band asked me to join them to play in a religious celebration in my town and I was very excited and couldn’t believe that it was happening! Was I ready to play? No, I wasn’t, he asked me to play just on a couple of very simple tunes and he told me to look at the soprano player beside me that was older than me and more experienced. This thing helped me to develop my playing so fast and after a while, I was able to play almost all the repertoire.

The love for the Tenor sax comes after a couple of years when another boy that was playing a tenor in the band asked me to do an exchange with his instrument. I remember that the tenor sax for me was so long that it was difficult for me to play and march at the same time, I was just 10 years old. I played an alto as well that was my first Selmer saxophone when I decided to do the entrance exam to the Conservatory in Pescara, near my hometown. It was a failure for me because they never admit me to the Conservatory because at that time there was only the classical class and my way to play was a bit unruly.  

Donna: Which teacher was your biggest influence when you were young? What was one thing they said that you still do today, if anything?

Max: Living in a little village in the middle 80s meant I didn’t have big influences on music. The main bands were playing folk music or a kind of pop music and the only way to listen to jazz was with the recordings. I spent a lot of time with a few friends transcribing some melodies from the recordings and then trying to play them all together having no idea of how to improvise.

Once in school the music teacher told me I was talented for music but he said: If you want to be a musician you should dedicate your time to study music seriously and you must learn to read music as well. The combination of this with your talent can help you to be a good musician otherwise you’ll always be an amateur. I never forgot that advice. 

Donna: What were some of those first records you listened to?

Max: One of my best friends was a guitar player and he loved Mike Stern. That was the period that Stern was playing with Bob Berg and to...

Today’s episode is about playing in military bands…

For this episode, I spoke with Larry Weintraub, saxophonist and clarinetist who has performed with Army and Navy bands from 1978 – 2005.

He was first introduced to military bands by his teacher at the time, Ron Diehl, lead alto player for the US Navy Jazz Commodores.

Since that time, he has traveled and performed all over the world.

Over the years he studied with Al Sigismondi, Edward Palanker, Joe Brisusco, Ron Diehl, Marty Nau, and others. 

He has also taught in public schools, taught saxophone and clarinet in Old Dominion University and received his Master’s in Music Education from the same institution.

He currently teaches and plays gigs on a regular basis. 

We talked about:

🎷 The 1 thing in college that shaped his life later on

🎷 How military bootcamp affected his practice and playing

🎷 Which military band is best for you

🎷 The glasses question – something I always wondered about

🎷 What you need BEFORE considering military bands

🎷 And much more!

Links:

Larry’s Bandmix site: www.bandmix.com/larry1261702  

His Day with Michael Brecker article: https://www.bestsaxophonewebsiteever.com/musical-tips-wisdom-day-spent-michael-brecker/ 

Audition information:

USAF:    music.af.mil    look under Regional Band Vacancies, click on instrument. Call 703-692-8168

USMC:    march.marines.mil    click on instrument for excerpts      marines.com for general information

Army:    bands.army.mil    click on instrument

 

Watch the Video Here:

 

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Patrons play a huge role in helping to defray the costs of storing each episode’s video and audio, and producing and hosting the show.

And, with their small monthly donation of $2 or more, they help keep the great interviews coming. If you want to become a patron and support the show, head on over to our PATREON site 

 

You may be wondering why we devoted a whole episode to saxophone necks? It’s because this part of your instrument is more important than you think.

If there are problems with your saxophone’s neck, not only will your tone and timbre be affected, but also your intonation, ease of blowing, efficiency and more.

For this episode, I spoke with Steve Goodson, founder of SaxGourmet products and his Nation of Music website, which contains tons of articles and information about all the parts of the saxophone, saxophone design, mouthpieces, key clamps and much more.

His SaxGourmet website has listings of Saxophone Makes and Models and Vintage Saxophone Value Guide. 

Steve has been part of the Music Industry since 1963, having performed all over the world from a very young age all the way up to the year 2003, where he stopped for health reasons.

He still teaches students in his New Orleans studio.

Steve started repairing his own horns in 1964, and over the years, he repaired saxophones for people all over the world, including Michael Brecker and Maceo Parker.

During this time he always thought he could improve on the design, and was inspired to create better saxophones.

That’s when he created his own unique line of horns, the SaxGourmet saxophones.

Musicians such as Tom Scott, Charles Neville, Aviva Maloney, James Martin perform on the Saxgourmet horns. 

You can read more about how he created these horns on his site by clicking the link below under Links.

Steve also is the administrator of many Facebook Discussion groups, such as Saxophone Nation and Saxophone Playing Techniques. A partial listing of those groups is on his SaxGourmet website.

Steve was also a regular contributor to the Saxophone Journal magazine.

We talked about:

🎷 Knowing the difference between necks to create a better one for your horn

🎷 How a neck can increase your dynamic range

🎷 Material differences in necks and do they make a difference

🎷 What is pull-down, and what to do about it

🎷 When to get another neck

🎷 and a lot more!

Links/Resources:

Nation of Music: https://www.nationofmusic.com/ 

SaxGourmet: https://www.saxgourmet.com/ 

About SaxGourmet horns: https://www.nationofmusic.com/saxgourmet-company-and-product-history/

Vintage Saxophone Value Guide: https://www.saxgourmet.com/vintage-saxophone-value-guide/

Vintage Saxophone Serial Numbers: https://www.saxgourmet.com/saxophone-serial-numbers/

 

Watch the Video Here:

 

Do You Love The Podcast???

Did you know you can get a complete listing of all our shows, as well as Bonus videos and searchable transcripts? All you need to do is become a Patron!

Patrons play a huge role in helping to defray the costs of storing each episode’s video and audio, and producing and hosting the show.

And, with their small monthly donation of $2 or more, they help keep the great interviews coming. If you want to become a patron and support the show, head on over to our PATREON site