"BLUE GIANT" Shinichi Ishizuka and Tomoaki Baba's jazz lectures starting with instruments - Saxophone edition

I first encountered the saxophone when I was in the first grade of elementary school. I had the opportunity to listen to a big band live performance, and I was drawn to the shape of the tenor saxophone. It had all these buttons...

Isn't it mechanical and cool? It's childlike and cool.

Just when a junior jazz school had opened in my hometown of Sapporo, I joined it with my childhood friend Shun Ishiwaka. I played the alto, but I was so impressed by the sound of Michael Brecker that Shun taught me that I started playing the tenor.

Apparently the first note on the trumpet is difficult, but what about the saxophone?

The instrument produces sound by blowing air into the mouthpiece and vibrating the reed, so it's easy to play the first note. However, finding your own sound is difficult. Because the instrument can produce a variety of tones, there are many "correct sounds." While the trumpet is recognizable as "Clifford Brown" based on the phrase and sound creation, the saxophone is an instrument that allows you to tell who is playing it just from the first note, and is therefore more likely to produce a unique sound.

So what is Baba's correct answer?

Rather than a linear sound like the Kamehameha from Dragon Ball, I prefer a sound like the wave that spreads after Son Goku gathers his energy. For example, the sounds of Joe Lovano and Lou Tabackin can be heard clearly even when you're behind the player. The saxophone is designed so that sound travels not only from the trumpet-shaped bell but also from the buttonholes. Especially for those who use heavy silver instruments, it feels like the air outside the instrument is also pulsating.

That may well be true!

Also, it is said that the saxophone is an instrument that gives off the feeling of singing, and when it comes to creating scenic, melodic music, I don't think there is any other wind instrument that can match it. That's another thing I love about it.

What recent trends in the saxophone world are you paying attention to?

What's interesting is that there are people like Dana Stevens, who is also active as an EWI (wind synthesizer) player, who has a completely different approach to music. Also, in recent years, sounds that combine jazz with hip-hop and R&B have been mainstream, but now there are people emerging from the UK scene who have a different musical style.

Many people are moving towards expressions that incorporate ethnic elements, such as Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings. Personally, I feel that the saxophone doesn't quite fit with electric contemporary music, so my challenge is to find a way to find that affinity.

What is important in practice?

I think it's about training how you use your physical muscles. For example, if you want to produce a softer sound, you can just blow less air into the instrument. But what I do is practice producing softer sounds by blowing 100% of the air into the instrument, but limiting the vibration of the reed to 20%. This allows me to produce a soft, dense sound without it being thin. In other words, it's training to expand the possibilities of my sound.

That's interesting. Finally, which is more popular, alto or tenor?

The tenor definitely has the most dandy tone. I think it's more popular to play live in a small venue without a microphone than on a big stage.