Category Archives: Education

Saxophone and woodwinds teaching and music education, transcriptions, recording and music production. Free downloads of my compositions, arrangements and recordings.

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Master Lessons for the Creative Musician by Bruce Mishkit

Master Lessons for the Creative Musician by Bruce Mishkit

Bruce Mishkit – Master Lessons for the Creative Musician

This is a short review of the Bruce MishkitMaster Lessons For The Creative Musician (Published 2005). This book was originally published by Warner Bros. Publications in 1994, as Sax/Flute Lessons with the Greats. The book includes an audio CD with lesson examples.
As I remember, I read excerpts from this book back in the nineties in Saxophone Journal published by Dorn Pub., and I wished to buy it back then. Finally I bought it a couple of years ago directly from Bruce. Continue reading

Clifford Solomon - Saxophone Solo

Clifford Solomon Saxophone Solo @ Good Time Boogie

Clifford Solomon tenor saxophone solo transcription on Good Time Boogie byJohn Mayall from John MayallJazz Blues Fusion record (Polydor Records 1972). Listen to the recording at Youtube.

The bflat and concert versions of the transcription are available at transcriptions page.

CliffordKingSolomon (January 17, 1931 – June 21, 2004) was an American jazz and R&B musician.

Solomon was born in Los Angeles and learned to play clarinet from an early age and picked up saxophone when he was 13. In the late 1940s he played with T-Bone Walker and Pee Wee Crayton, then joined the band of Roy Porter in 1948-1949, and soon after played with Lionel Hampton, Floyd Ray, Art Farmer, Annie Ross, Gigi Gryce, Clifford Brown, Charles Brown, and then Hampton again. He led his own band in Alaska in the mid-1950s and played with Roy Milton in 1956-57; he also recorded under his own name for Okeh Records in the 1950s. He worked in the 1960s with Onzy Matthews (1962-1964), Ike & Tina Turner as a member of the Kings of Rhythm, and Johnny Otis. In addition he recorded with Lou Rawls, Preston Love, Mel Brown, Maxine Weldon, Billy Brooks, Esther Phillips, John Mayall, and Big Joe Turner. From February to March 1974, he was the saxophonist in the two-piece “horn band” of Canned Heat’s European tour; the author of this reference characterizes Clifford Solomon as “one of the best musicians I have ever played with”. From 1974 to 1987 he was Ray Charles‘s musical director; he served in the same capacity for Johnny Otis from 1988 to 1990. In the 1990s he worked with Charles Brown once more.

Keep practicing and have fun!

Marcel Mule

Harvey Pittel’s visit with Marcel Mule

This is an interesting conversation and meeting Harvey Pittel with Mr. Marcel Mule in May of 1993 at the roof garden of his home in Sanary, France.

Mr. Mule talks about his early experiences and studying the saxophone with his father when he was eight and he also had violin lessons a year after when he was nine. There are more interesting stories in this video, so check it out! Continue reading

Saxophone Embouchure - Joe Allard

Saxophone Embouchure

Saxophone Embouchure Concepts

This is a YouTube collection of excellent videos explaining saxophone and clarinet embouchure as simple as possible (Joe Allard, Dave Liebman, Harvey Pittel, Jerry Bergonzi). For further reading check out these posts Joe Allard – Basic Principles & Pedagogy, Developing a Personal Saxophone Sound and Continue reading

Marcel Mule Interview

Marcel Mule Interview

This is an interview with Marcel Mule, extract from Vandoren video, although I can’t find the buy link for a full video on Vandoren.fr  (If anybody finds it anywhere, just let me know and I’ll put it here). In this video Mr. Mule talks about his early career in Musique de la Garde Republicaine military orchestra and exposure to jazz and vibrato played on saxophone. Continue reading