Some people buy boats. Others buy vacation property. I buy musical instruments. I have a small collection of vintage instruments like this Selmer Paris silver clarinet that plays like a dream. But I’m really a sax man. And to that end, I am working with a world-famous saxophone maker Benedikt Eppelsheim to create a one of a kind bass saxophone with an extended low range to low A. He is also providing a unique color (or colour as he sez ;o) that will come close to matching my Ref 54 saxophones.

I wanted the low A because of a bass sax feature piece called ‘You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch’ by arranger extraordinare Ward Baxter, that is littered with low A’s. For a standard bass sax you’d have to lip the instrument down from it’s lowest note Bb to get a, for me, mostly sketchy low A. I toyed with having my grandson place a tube of cardboard in the bell for each low A, but there were just too many of them. But I am convinced this will be a very popular number for both my quartet and the Woodinville Community Band that my wife and I play with.

  Part of the journey of getting a new instrument for your arsenal is learning how to play it. Although the fingering for all saxes (including but not limited to the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, F mezzo, alto, C melody, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass, sub-contrabass) are the same, the voicing achieved by adjusting your embouchure can be challenging. And for the vintage bass saxophone, I have a ’21 Buescher bass sax, there are alternate fingerings necessary to get some notes to speak.

Okay, so I’m guessing that if you’ve gotten this far in my post today that you can tell how jazzed I am about this new instrument. I’m so looking forward to getting some quality time on this bass sax. This will be a very busy Fall for the many bands that I play with. And the first practice for the Second Story Rep theater production of ‘A Chorus Line’ starts tomorrow.

Here’s hoping you have a great weekend, doing the things you enjoy with the people you love.