MJJO: Maybe This Time

Gandalfe

Gandalfe

Striving to play the changes in a melodic way.
Staff member
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Rather proud of this, check out my sweet bari sax nothings behind my fav vocalist, Robin Hilt in "Maybe This Time". Sappy and romantic I know, but as I've always said, if you want to play a certain kind of music, start your own band. 13+ years ago I did just that with the Microsoft Jumpin' Jive Orchestra and I'm lovin' it.

Note, my current director for this band thinks I play too loud (that's right and on bari sax). I think it has to do with the fact that I'm placed right in front of him in our current setup. No worries. So I really get softer in this rendition than I would normally.

https://www.reverbnation.com/microsoftjumpinjiveorchestra
 
I liked playing in big bands. It was challenging when playing with vocalists; didn't want to get too much molto blastissimo. I don't think it was too much bari. It might have been more fun on bass ...
 
I really prefer to play alto sax, but it is easier to find alto and tenor sax players than bari. So cover that now. I have come to luv the bari sax, it is always soloing and often in very cool ways. And many times I add my own interpretations to the music. For example at the end of "Meet Me in Dreamland" I add a bari sax gliss to a low A that is now a standard part of that song. Hey, I paid extra for that low A. ;)
 
+1 on the not too much bari comment from Pete. The sax as back up wasn't too loud. If you listen to jazz music that has instrumentalists backing vocalists, that's about the level of the sax. That said, what the live level was, is of course hard to tell, but the recording certainly doesn't indicate any issues...
 
Yes, I might have played louder. I for years backed a female singer while on bari and tenor... but that was a rock setting. ;) Amplification and volume was everything. :emoji_rage:

For a jazz setting though, I think the volume was good: Not too loud, and not too soft. It was a really nice blend for the style.

In my own jazz band, when I did the occasional bari back-up for my female vocalist, I found the frequency of the bari could be too much for the vocalist. I can get a lot of volume out of my Mark VI, and it was always a fine line between expressive playing, and too much volume in the MF, or F sections of a tune. It was easy to make the vocalist end up pushing her vocals to the limit--which is of course not the point, and can be not very pretty.

That to me is always the hardest part of playing bari with a female vocalist: the ranges are so different, that while beautiful to listen to, can be a real challenge for the player to do. It takes an accomplished player to pull it off well.
 
The balance was quite good for my taste. Even a bit more bari wouldn't hurt in those types of figures. What a great band and exceptional vocalist. You are lucky Gandalfe to have such a great performing opportunity. You are giving me one more reason to wish I lived in the northwest instead of Yewtah.
 
Thanks John! I can't believe how fortunate Suzy and I are to live in the northwest with all the music opportunities. There are so many bands to play with, so many fab musicians, but absolutely no money in it. Fortunately I'm not in it for the money.

This band has been a project of mine for approaching 14 years. The 17 to 18 people in the band has changed almost every year due to work and family lives for the players that I think I've played with over 150 musicians if you count the subs and directors. For my sax xTet, where x = the number of saxes, we are talking about 20 players over the years with Suzy, Molly and me being the only constants. When you throw in the concert band we play in, we've played regularly with over 500 musicians. How many towns can boast a cadre like that?

My son and his family (with three aspiring grandkid musicians) live in Utah. Oh how I wish he would move back to Seattle and surrounds. I could turn these organizations over to him to run. :)
 
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