Two funny things that talks to how I feel about the recent earthquake on the east coast of the US.
Overheard: Scientists have determined that the quake in DC was caused by the founding fathers rolling over in their graves…
I noticed that in the last couple of days some people have been searching for “subcontrabass sax” and getting hits to my blog. I go to Jay Easton’s Subcontrabass Sax page or Helen’s Bassic Sax blog for my researching needs. But in case that or the Wikipedia info disappears, I decided to capture it here for my future use.
“The subcontrabass saxophone is a type of saxophone that Adolphe Sax patented and planned to build but never constructed. Sax called this imagined instrument saxophone bourdon (named after the lowest stop on the pipe organ). It would have been a transposing instrument pitched in B♭, one octave below the bass saxophone and two octaves below the tenor saxophone.” ~ Wikipedia
If I were to purchase an instrument like this I would once again see Benedikt Epplesheim who has provided me with a modern bass sax keyed to low A, a soprillo sax, and a modern C soprano sax. His Tubax is so sexy that there are few saxophonists who don’t dream about it at night!
There are also some nice audio samples on the Epplesheim Tubax page. You can find more information on vintage subcontrabass saxes on my friend Helen’s blog in the post titled The World’s Largest Saxophone, Then & Now.
One of the more interesting subcontrabass sax projects is the J’Elle Stainer’s instrument. I looked all over the web for a current picture and was glad I saved this picture from a number of years ago:
Until 1999, no genuine, playable subcontrabass saxophones were made, though at least two gigantic saxophones seem to have been built solely for show. Although the smaller of the two (constructed in the mid-1960s) was able to produce musical tones, with assistants opening and closing its pads due to the instrument’s lack of keywork, witnesses have stated that it was incapable of playing even a simple scale.
“The B♭ subcontrabass Tubax was developed in 2000 by instrument manufacturer Benedikt Eppelsheim of Munich, Germany and is described by Eppelsheim as a “subcontrabass saxophone”. This instrument is available in both C and B♭, with the B♭ model providing the same pitch range as the saxophone bourdon would have. A contrabass-range Tubax in E♭ is also available.
The question of whether or not the Tubax is truly a saxophone is debatable: it has the same fingering as a contrabass saxophone, but its bore, though conical, is narrower (relative to its length) than that of a regular saxophone. This makes for a more compact instrument with a “reedier” and “fatter” timbre. While some argue that the Tubax is akin to the double-reed sarrusophone, the Tubax’s bore is much larger than that of the corresponding size of sarrusophone. Some authorities regard the Tubax as a separate family of instruments rather than as a type of saxophone.” ~ Wikipedia
I am an avid bibliophile with books strewn all over my house. As we move towards the digital divide, I wonder if paper libraries will become just a memory like stone tablets. So when I saw this collection of “20 Celebrities With Stunning Home Libraries” I couldn’t resist sharing my favorite picture from the lot.
“The William Randolph Hearst library dwarf’s all other libraries on this list, this epic room may as well be a public collection — it’s certainly big enough. It is the kind of place bibliophile dreams are made of, with intricately carved gothic arches and amazing decor that is rich and sumptuous enough to make anyone, even those who don’t like to read, swoon. If that room isn’t enough, Hearst’s castle also boasts another private library, which is just as fancy and just as loaded with books.”
Almost sounds like the beginning to a poem, doesn’t it. I have pictures all over my house of Michael Parkes all over the house. Suzy likes them too as she collected the first three prints. Here is one of the pictures I have in my library:
“As human beings, we limit our sense of perception to what is generally comfortable and present in everyday life. In limiting our perceptions to suit our individuality, we miss the vastness of other perceptions and the doors they represent. Though we have been conditioned to perceive nothing except our own world, this does not mean we cannot enter other realms.” ~ Michael Parkes
I was invited to join a new group on Facebook called “Musicians on Motorbikes “(MoM) by Benedikt of Switzerland today. So I joined and quickly submitted this picture in which I thought the contra alto clarinet would be considered eccentric. Imagine my surprise when I was immediately called to task for the socks and Berkenstock look.
I wear my nerd badges with pride, but that really surprised me. I guess if I cared what I looked like, I would have pulled in my gut, put on some makeup, and Photoshopped some copper on the Seattle tan that I sport. And just in case you are curious, the Leblanc Paris contra alto plays effortlessly all the way up to the clarion C (first C above the staff) thank you very much. :0)
A friend of mine is selling/trading his Leblanc Model 7182 Contrabass Clarinet (link here). He includes some videos of him playing his contra and this one caught my ear. I’m on my third listen.
I really like the musically and the rarity of this clip. It has the feel of a nice Klezmer jazz piece.
What a legacy the Beatles brings to the table. Three generations and counting of my family luv the music, videos, and times of the Beatles. Sad with happy, great music, and so much joy.
Music Matters is a collective effort by artists and all those who work in and around music to remind listeners of its enduring value. They ask that we, “Help us build a strong movement supporting musicians everywhere, by inviting everyone you know to join the campaign.” Find out more — read our Music Matters FAQs. I must admit, I am just starting to read about this organization.
Every year for a while now Pete, one of the admins on the Woodwind Forum, creates a wonderful and unique calendar for the avid woodwind musician. These are some of the pictures I sent for him to review.
You can read more about the calendar project here.
Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank Amelia, the dawglie for her assist in this photo session. This is if you consider licking yourself inspiration. ;O)
Did you know that the Clarinet Institute maintains archives of Saxophone music?
There are currently over 250 works in the collection. Solos, duets, trios, quartets, chamber music, studies and more. Over 3,700 pages of Saxophone sheet music from over 100 composers. Music from Baroque and Classical to Romantic, 20th Century and jazz. There are enough pieces and exercises here to last a lifetime! Ideal for performance, recitals, practice, teaching and study. A vast collection of music perfect for any Saxophone player.
The jewel of this collection is the folder of sax quartets. 96 quartets with complete, separate parts! Please note—most of the quartets are written for the standard SATB quartet.
There are other collections of Saxophone music for sale elsewhere on the net, but this is the most comprehensive collection anywhere. We are experienced archivists. This is what we do! We have assembled a complete collection of all the out of copyright Saxophone music currently in existence in PDF format.
In addition, this collection contains a huge library of music specially published by Clarinet Institute staff composers and arrangers for Saxophone solo, Saxophone and piano, duets, and Sax quartet. These pieces are not available anywhere else!
You can get all 250+ PDF files – the entire collection – on one CD. That’s right. All this for only $12.00 plus processing and handling. Here is a complete list of the music on the CD:
Saxophone and Piano
Albeniz – Tango for Tenor Sax
Albinoni – Adagio for Alto Sax
Bach – Air on a G String for Alto Sax*
Bach – Minet and Badinere from the Orchestral Suite
Bach – Prelude in C Major from the Well Tempered Clavier
Bach – Prelude No 8 for Tenor/Soprano*
Bartok – An evening in the village*
Beethoven – Pathetique Sonata 2nd mvt for Tenor
Beethoven – Adelade, Op. 46 for Tenor
Berlin – I Got Rhythm for Alto Sax*
Berlin – I Got Rhythm for Tenor Sax*
Bizet – Carmen Soldiers Chorus for tenor
Bizet – Minuet from L’arlesienne for Alto Sax*
Borodin – Polovtsian Dance for Tenor
Borodin – Quartet no2 3rd mvt for tenor
Brahms – Clarinet Sonata Op120 No 1 arr for Tenor
Burgmuller – Arabesque for Alto Sax*
Chopin Etude – Op. 10 No. 3 for Tenor Sax*
Chopin Etude – Op. 10 No. 3 for Alto Sax*
Chopin Waltz – Op. 34 No. 2 for Alto Sax*
Clarke – Trumpet Voluntary for Alto
Combelle – Esquisse Valse Caprice for Alto
Debussy – Rhapsodie for Alto
Debussy – Suite Bergamasque 1 Prelude for tenor and Piano
Debussy – Suite Bergamasque 2 Menuet for tenor and piano
Debussy – Suite Bergamasque 3 Clair for tenor and piano
Debussy – Suite Bergamasque 4 Passepied for tenor and piano
Dejonghe – Never Mind for Alto
Dejonghe – So What for Alto
D’Indy – Choral variations Op 55 for Alto
Dukas – Gypsy Dance for Alto
Elgar – Serenade from The Wand of Youth for Alto*
Faure – Berceuse Alto Sax*
Faure – Romance Sans Paroles No. 3, Op. 17 (Tenor Sax)*
Garson – Ballade for Alto
Garson – Jazz Etude for Alto
Garson – Jazz Variations on a Theme of Paganini for Alto
Garson – Sonata for Alto
Girl from Ipanema for alto
Gounod – Ave Maria for Alto Sax
Guo, Edward – Ballade, Op.20 for Soprano Sax
Gurbeloshvili – Summer Sadness for Alto
Handel – Allegro for Alto
Handel – Largo from Xerxes for Alto Sax*
Handel – Sonata for Alto Sax*
Handel – Sonata in G min for Soprano
Harrington, Jeffrey – Dans le délire de l’inutile for Soprano
Hartman – Cantabile for Tenor
Harvey – Caprice Anglais for alto
Haydn – Trumpet Concerto arr for Tenor 1st mvt
Herpyua – Nocturne for Alto
Heumann – Slavonic Fantasy for Alto
Jolivet – Air and Dance for Alto
Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag for Alto Sax*
Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag for Tenor Sax*
Joplin – The Entertainer for Alto
Josep – Blau de Blaus for Alto
Kern – All the Things You Are for Alto
Lacour – Belle Epoque for Alto
Lance – Saxophonia for Alto
Lennon – McCartney – Yesterday for Alto
Levenberg – In the Jazz Rhythms for Alto
Mancini – Pink Panther for Alto
Massenet – Meditation Thais for Alto Sax* Video
Massenet – Meditation Thais for Tenor Sax*
Mendelssohn – Wedding March for Alto Sax
Mozart – Allegro Piano Sonata for Alto
Mozart – Horn Concerto No 4 for Tenor sax (all 3 movements)t
Ornstein – Ballade for Alto
Piazzola – Ciao Paris for Alto
Piazzola – Verano Porteno for Alto
Piazzolla – Invierno Porteno for Alto
Piazzolla – Jacinto Chiclana for Alto
Piazzolla – Recuerdo New York for Alto
Randolph – Yakety Sax (chords only for piano)
Rimsky Korsakov – Flight of the Bumblebee for Tenor
Rivchun – Concert Etude for Alto
Rotatori – Salt Drops Piano
Saparov – Concert Waltz for Tenor and Pno
Saparov – Memory of Yu Saulsky
Saparov – Sonatina
Saparov – Variations
Schmitt – Legende Op 66
Schoonenbeek – Adagio
Schoonenbeek – All Those Tender Feelings
Schoonenbeek – Concerto Romantique for Alto
Schoonenbeek – Fantasy for Alto
Schoonenbeek – Lonely Together for Alto
Schoonenbeek – Pavane and Courente for Alto
Schoonenbeek – Steeplechase for Alto
Schubert – Ave Maria for Alto Sax
Shostakovich – Romance from The Gadfly for Alto
Singelee – 5th Solo de Concours for Alto
Singelee – Concertino for Alto
Various – Solo Pieces for Alto Sax and Piano
Telemann – Vivace from the Flute Sonata in F
Theisen – Sonata for Alto Sax
Vivaldi – Concerto Op 3 No 6 for Alto
Vlahek – Sonata for Alto Sax and Piano
Voronov – Saxophobia for Alto
Wagner – Wedding March for Alto Sax
Saxophone Solo and Studies
Alternate fingering scheme for saxophone
Altissimo Fingering Chart – Alto Saxophone
Altissimo Fingering Chart – Tenor Saxophone
Bartlen – Jazz Exercises
Bonneau – Caprice
Ferling – 18 Edudes pour Saxophone
Ferling – 48 Studies
Jazz Fake Book
Klose – Complete Method for Saxophone
Klose – 25 Daily Exercises
Lamotte, Émile Henry Antony – Dix-Huit Études pour Saxophone
Lindeman – Method for Saxophone
Manderas – Stacatto Studies
Mixolydian – Scales for Saxophone
Quinones – Metodo Elementar
Russo – Sax Method
Saxophone fingering chart
Schoonenbeek – Caprice
Schoonenbeek – Printemps
Schoonenbeek – Solitaire
Schoonenbeek – Standup Variation
Sellner – Saxophone Method
Shapiro – Monologue
Various – 26 Saxophone Studies
Verroust – 24 Melodic Etudes
Saxophone Duets
Bach – 2 Part Invention No 1 Duo for Tenor and Bari
Bach – Gavotte from English Suite No. 3 for alto and tenor sax
Bach – Sheep may safely graze Duo for alto and tenor
Bach – 2 Part Invention XIV for alto and bari
Beethoven – Duo No 1 (from the 3 Duos) for Alto and Tenor
Besozzi – Duet*
Bordet – The Hunt*
Chopin – Etude Op10 No. 3 for alto and tenor
Delibes – Lakme Flower Duet for alto tenor and piano
Franck – 3 Early Pieces alto and tenor
Mozart – Menuet
Sellner – 12 duos for Saxophone Suite #2
Sax Quartets
Arlen – Over the Rainbow
Bach – Ave Maria
Bach – Air on a G String (alternate version)
Bach – Air on a G String from BWV 1068 Video
Bach – Bhute Mir du Liebe Herz
Bach – Bouree
Bach – Brandenburg 6 1st Movement
Bach – Fugue in G minor BWV 578 The Little Fugue* Video Video
Bach JC – Sinfonia
Bach – Sheep May Safely Graze
Bacharach – Alfie
Bakalian, Craig – Music for Saxophone Quartet and Percussion
Banchieri, Adriano – Fantasia Secunda *
Barraclough – Ivory Palaces
Beethoven – Ode to Joy
Berlin – Putting on the Ritz*
Bizet – Carmen Smuggler’s March*
Brahms – Hungarian Dance*
Brahms – Wir Wandleten AATB
Bratton – Teddy Bears Picnic
Butterfield – When You and I Were Young AATB
Caccini – Amarilli Sax Quartet*
Carmichael – Riverboat Shuffle
Carmichael – Stardust
Corelli – Gigue Op 5*
Daguet – Banana Rag
Debussy – Le Petit Negre
Delibes – Flower Duet from Lakme
Donaudy – Amors Apprende AATB
Dvorak – String Quartet No 12 1st Movement
Evans – The diamond State Rag
Fisher – Chicago
Foster – Medley of Tunes
Gounod – Funeral March of a Marionet
Grieg – Album Leaf Op 12 AATB
Haley – While Strolling Through the Park One Day
Handel – Arrival of the Queen of Sheba* Video
Handel – Harmonious Blacksmith AATB
Handel – In den angenehmen Buschen
Handel – Sarabande and Variations AATB
Handel – So Shall the Lute and Harp Awake
Handel – The Heavens are Telling*
Harrington – Spirale d’Arco
Haydn – Menuetto and Trio
Jerulsalum – Traditional tune
Jocklin – Sax Quartet Op 8
Johnson – Come Back Rag
Joplin – Elite Syncopations
Joplin – Peacherine Rag
Joplin – The Entertainer Video
Kearns – Mariposas
Legrenzi – La Raspona
Lincoln – Repasz Band March
Londonderry Air*
Looney Toons Melody* Video
Mendelssohn – Cappricio
Mendelssohn – Fugue
Mozart – Ave Verum
Mozart – Cosi Fan Tutte Ouverture
Mozart – Serenade No 11
Mussorgski – Pictures at an Exhibition, Il Vecchio Castello
Ory – The Kid
Pachelbel – Canon
Palestrina – Super Flumina Babylonis
Pergolesi – Stabat Mater
Pierné, Gabriel – Introduction et Variations sur une Ronde Populaire
Porter – High Society
Pronin – Prelude and Fugue
Puccini – Pin Pan Pon
Purcell – Abdelazer Rondeau
Ravenscroft – Round of Country Dances
Respighi – Ciciliana
Sermisy – Au Joli Bois Madrigal
Shenandoah AATB
Stainer – God So Loved the World
Stone – The Bosn Rag
Strauss – Perpetuum Mobile Video
Sullivan – I’m Called Little Buttercup*
Taylor – Divisions on an Italian Ground
Tchaikovsky – Album for the Young
Tchaikovsky – Chant sans Paroles
Theisen – Tornado Revisited
Tiger Rag
Villarroig – Saxophone Quartet
Vivaldi – Larghetto
Vivaldi – Theme from La Primavera AATB
Welsh Lullaby AATB
Whalen – Talk of the Town AATB
Wiedoeft – Saxophobia
Wolfe – Sax Quartet
Chamber Music
Bach – Sleepers Awake for Sax trio
Bathory – Catdance for Sax trio
Beach – Waltz for 3 Saxophones
Davidson – Squaring the Circles for Alto Bari and Piano
Debussy – Rhapsody (all orchestral parts included)
Gounod – Ave Maria for Tenor flute violin cello and piano
Ostijn – Canzonetta for Soprano Sax and Sax Quartet
Peters-Rey – Quasi Rondo for Flute, Sax, Trumpet and 2 Violins
Satie – Gymnopedie No 3 for Soprano sax and strings
Yokoyama – L’Epice d’Asie for Tenor Sax, Flute and Cello
There are also over 550 pieces of music in pdf format on the Clarinet Institute web site. Solos, duets, trios, quartets, and more. Over 8,000 pages of Clarinet sheet music from over 300 composers. Music from Baroque and Classical to Romantic and 20th Century. There are enough pieces and exercises here to last a lifetime! Ideal for performance, recitals, practice, teaching, and study. A vast collection of music perfect for any clarinet player.
Finally, a meaty subject that you can really dig your teeth into. This was an article I found on the front page of MSN this morning.
“With the recently published first look at Anne Hathaway‘s Catwoman costume for Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises,” the question must be asked: Of all the women who have purred menacingly into Batman’s ear, who was the sexiest feline villain? Let’s take a look at how Catwoman has changed over the years.”
My favorite is of course Halle Berry, “Though inspired by the same DC Comics character, the film “Catwoman” created a brand-new origin story: The evil owner of a cosmetics company drowns an employee, Patience Phillips, who is brought back to life by a mysterious Egyptian cat. This was a solo outing for Catwoman — Batman and Robin were nowhere to be found.
Three years after becoming the first African-American woman to win a Best Actress Oscar, Halle Berry received a whopping $12.5 million to play the title role. 
Her Catwoman showed way more skin than the women who came before her, and she was a knockout. Unfortunately, the film bombed at the box office and Berry’s performance was derided as one of the worst of the year. Being an excellent sport, Halle appeared at the Razzie Awards to collect her Worst Actress award herself, holding her Academy Award in one hand and the Razzie in the other.” ~ MSN and Warner Bros.
Yeah, the movie was disastrous, but Halle made the effort worth while. I am still looking for the movie with this cat woman costume. No, really. <Big smile>
The last photo is by Erotic Photographer Oliver Marzischewski and really, really is NSFW. You’ve been warned.
Quinn the Eskimo Vintage Horns
The Bis Key Chronicles 