The Rico Reed folks recently shared some time with the sax section from the Birdland Big Band. The conversation was so good I wanted to capture some of it here for future reference.
Bret Pimentel · Assistant Professor of Woodwinds at Delta State University
What tips do you have on section playing?
Nathan Childers · New York, New York
<Tip: start this Basie recording before reading on for the full effect.>
Hi Bret, thanks for the great question! I certainly “second” the thoughts of my section mates. This is a wide ranging topic.
Section playing is a skill and art form unto itself. Ideally, each player possesses a knowledge of theory, composition, melodic structure, and historical perspective. The Birdland Big Band is made up of highly skilled performers and composers that have an intimate knowledge of these concepts.
Many of the great big band composers (Ellington, Basie, etc..) wrote pieces based upon the skills and assets of the individual band members. As such, their work became a team effort between the composer and the player. This was a driving force behind their success and musicality. That’s why it’s nearly impossible to sound just like one of those bands. The compositions and the players were inseparable.
It’s essential that modern players consider each composition in a global sense as they learn their individual parts. In addition to some of the important basics like notes, rhythm, tempo, articulation, breath, phrasing, style, it’s important to understand your role within the section and the ensemble. Your task is to accomplish the goals of the composer while adding your unique “stamp” along the way.
Young players are often highly focused on their individual part during practice and rehearsal. It takes time to feel comfortable and confident enough to listen across the ensemble while playing your own part. I call this skill lateral listening.
Neal Hefti’s composition Li’l Darlin’ is often used to develop team skills, tonal color, and nuance within an ensemble. It’s also a good work space for lateral listening concepts.
Here are some habits and exercises for a saxophone section to consider…
Rehearse without the rest of the band whenever possible. Use this time to explore and develop items such as clean articulation, dynamics, style interpretation, and phrasing.
Bring pencils to all rehearsals. Write in relevant details such as breath marks, cut-offs, phrasing, and dynamics. Discuss your parts in detail as a section.
Practice your parts in various groupings (duos, trios, both tenors, alto and bari, both altos, etc..). This will help you isolate various discrepancies and areas for improvement.
Record some of your rehearsals and listen back as a section.
Practice with a tuner. Use the tuner to check chord voicings and unison lines throughout the piece. Write in reminders and arrows in order to help clean up the intonation.
Practice with a metronome (one that can change pitch on any chosen beat and can subdivide, like a Dr. Beat). Challenge the section with different tempos and beat accents within the measure.
The lead alto player will decide the overall style, articulation, and sound concept for the section. The lead alto part is usually the highest written note within the saxophone chord voicing. As a result, the listener will hear this part as a “lead” sound. The lead alto player also sits directly in front of the lead trombone and the lead trumpet. These three players create their own team and must be listening to each other at all times. Similarly, their notes are often the top notes of chord voicings within their section.
Each section member is an equal partner in the success of the band. Interpretation, stylization, and performance is only as good as the commitment of each individual.
I highly recommend that all middle school, high school, and college music programs incorporate saxophone quartets into their required saxophone curriculum. Saxophone quartets provide an incredible opportunity to build the fundamentals of section playing. Each member should have the opportunity to perform on each chair (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone) throughout their studies.
Listen, listen, listen! Make sure you are listening to a lot of big bands both live and on recordings.
Read more…
Halloween is a time of fantasy, full on dress up fun, and unique party and food options. Halloween was originally All Hallows’ Eve, incorporating traditions from pagan harvest festivals and festivals honoring the dead, particularly the Celtic Samhain. 
Halloween in modern times has become a sugar fest, a time for kids to get their sweet tooth satisfied and a time for adults to step out dressed as something they wouldn’t otherwise wear outside of their house. Will you be wearing a costume to work this season?
And at the universities, well let’s just say all bets are off. For example, there is the Night of Decadence, a party held every year around Halloween at Wiess College at Rice University. It’s a legendary party held at Rice and in Houston, drawing young alumni and students from other universities in addition to Rice students. It was also named to the Top 10 College Parties in America by Playboy magazine in the 1970s.
Instead of traditional costumes, students dress as degenerately (or as minimally) as possible. Pregnant nuns and drag dress are some of the tamer outfits. Although there are always several people creatively attired in Saran Wrap or fishnet stockings and pasties, a typical costume is boxer shorts for men, and bra and panties for women. Because of its overtly sexual context, the party eventually became a polarizing event on the Rice campus. 
Halloween bad girl costumes include superheroes, nurses, witches, and zombies. Even just wearing sexy lingerie can be seen. And the bravest women can be seen wearing little more than paint. Note, since I’ve been out of college, I have not been invited to parties like that. Ah, to be young and dumb again. 
The Bis Key Chronicles 