Everything Saxophone Podcast

 Los Angeles-based saxophonist Bob Reynolds is a Grammy-winning member of the instrumental group Snarky Puppy, an award-winning composer, and a prolific recording artist with 10 top-selling solo albums to his credit.

Widely known for his work with both Snarky and John Mayer, he’s been a featured soloist with Grammy-winning instrumentalists like Larry Carlton, Chris Botti, and Jeff Lorber and worked with a host of pop artists including Michael Bublé, Idina Menzel, Josh Groban, The 1975, and USHER.

The New York Times called him “a self-assured saxophonist and an unassuming yet effective composer,” and his solo albums showcase his melodic improvisational style, tuneful songwriting, and, as the LA Times put it: “hip-swiveling” grooves. His Guitar Band album, filmed live in concert, has over 4 million views on YouTube.

A pioneer in online education, Bob has coached thousands of musicians since 2010 through his innovative Virtual Studio, and more than 76,000 people subscribe to Bob’s YouTube channel where he shares behind-the-scenes videos of what it’s like balancing his music career with raising a family.

In this episode we talked about:

• Biggest influences when it comes to playing, composing, and improvisation
• What does jazz really mean?
• The importance of learning jazz when it comes to improvisation
• Why you should learn and play rhythm section instruments
• His first tool for composing
• The under $100 tool he can’t live without

Links:

Website: bobreynoldsmusic.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bobreynoldsmusic 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bob_reynolds/ 

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/bobreynolds

Bob’s Virtual Studio: www.bobsvirtualstudio.com 

You can watch the video of this interview (& Subscribe to our channel!) HERE 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Our 101st guest is Brent Vaartstra, a professional jazz guitarist living in New York City, and the Director of the internationally renowned jazz education company, Learn Jazz Standards. 

Even though Brent plays guitar, we thought it would be incredibly valuable for you to know about Learn Jazz Standards and to get into the mind of a really great jazz teacher.

Brent has helped hundreds of thousands of musicians around the world take their jazz playing to the next level, through his blog, podcast, YouTube channel, and online courses.

In this episode we talked about:

• Brent’s contribution to the jazz community
• How he discovered the tenets of a good improviser
• His approach as a teacher on the internet’s information overload
• What made him start Learn Jazz Standards
• Learn Jazz Live 2021 2-day Virtual Summit
• How basic music theory can go a long way
• The $100 tool he can’t live without

Links:

Learn Jazz Live (Feb 27-28, 2021): www.learnjazzstandards.com/everythingsaxophone  

Website: https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/learnjazzstandards/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learnjazzstandards/ 

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/Learnjazzstandards 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LJazzS 

You can watch the video of this interview (& Subscribe to our channel!) on YouTube HERE

If you would like to be featured in the Shoutout of the week, please leave a review in the Podcasts app, on the blog article on our website here, or anywhere else you listen in.

And Sign up here on our site to get notified first when each and every episode becomes available. You’ll also get a Free Video Lesson, The Best Lip Position for Playing Saxophone.

Wanna show your love and support for the show?

Become a patron!

Patrons get access to bonus behind the scenes interviews not seen anywhere else, along with searchable transcripts of the shows.

And, with their small monthly donation of $2 or more, they help keep the great interviews coming.

If you want to become a patron and support the show, head on over to our Patreon site. 

https://www.patreon.com/everythingsaxophone

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Alexa Tarantino is an award-winning, vibrant, young jazz saxophonist, woodwind doubler, composer, and educator. 

Tarantino was recently named one of the “Top 5 Alto Saxophonists of 2019” by the JazzTimes Critics’ Poll. 

She has performed regularly as a leader and side woman with the Alexa Tarantino Quartet,  Cecile McLorin, Ulysses Owens Jr., LSAT ( the quintet co-led with baritone saxophonist, Lauren Sevian), Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Sherrie Maricle & the DIVA Jazz Orchestra. 

Alexa is an artist on the Posi-Tone Records label, and her debut quartet record, Winds of Change, released late-May 2019, peaked at #15 on the JazzWeek Charts and landed at #79 for JazzWeek’s Top 100 records of 2019. Her second record is Clarity, released in June 2020, which features Steven Feifke (piano), Joe Martin (bass), and Rudy Royston (drums). 

She is currently on faculty for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Youth Programs, and represents the organization as a Clinician and Educator for various schools, festivals, and workshops. 

Alexa holds a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies from The Juilliard School and Bachelor’s degrees in Jazz Saxophone Performance and Music Education from the Eastman School of Music. 

She is Founder and Director of the Rockport Jazz Workshop in Rockport, Massachusetts and Co-Founder of A Step Ahead Jazz virtual workshop with pianist Steven Feifke. 

Alexa Tarantino is a Vandoren Artist and Yamaha Performing Artist.

In this episode, we talked about:

• Her solfege project, So You Think You Can Solfege 
• Her musical background, and the connection with Music Learning Theory
• Working with baritone saxophonist, Lauren Sevian
• How she developed her own voice
• Being a musician during the pandemic
• Her studio set-up
• Her musical influences
• Future of improvised music post-covid
• and more

Alexa’s Links:

Website: https://alexatarantino.com/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/alexatarantinomusic 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexatarantino/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/alexatarantino 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tarantino_alexa 

So You Think You Can Solfege:  Anthropology episode with Chad Lefkowicz-Brown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl8mBYpbA6s 

You can watch the video of this interview (& Subscribe to our channel!) HERE:

Want to show your love and support for the Everything Saxophone Podcast?

Become a Patron! For as little as $2 a month, you get access to behind the scenes Bonus footage, PLUS searchable transcripts from the episodes.

Just go HERE to keep the show going.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Over the last 30 years, British saxophonist Tim Garland has forged a reputation as a highly distinctive and in-demand musician and composer.

Whilst often inspired by influences from the diverse European classical tradition, his celebrated virtuosity as a saxophonist and improviser maintains his position as one of the UK’s most

authentic jazz voices.

He has toured with Ronnie Scotts and with Chick Corea for 17 years. Playing tenor and soprano saxes, bass clarinet and flute, he also won a Grammy for his symphonic orchestrations on Corea’s “The New Crystal Silence” album from 2007.

Garland has fulfilled commissions from several of the worlds’ top orchestras, including  a double concerto from the LSO, a piano concerto for Gwilym Simcock from  The Royal Northern Sinfonia, with whom he went on to record three CDs, a cello and sax concerto from the CBSO, and a sax concerto from the BBC Concert Orchestra.

In 2016 he premiered  “Re:Focus”  (a re-imagining of the Getz /Sauter project of 1962 ‘Focus’) to a full house at London’s Wigmore Hall, which was released in 2020. 

Garland has been a research professor in new music styles at both Newcastle University and The Royal Northern College Of Music, as well as a regular visiting professor at The Royal Academy Of Music London. He has led workshops around the world and been a visiting artist at Leeds College of Music and Oriel College Oxford amongst others. He has twice been a judge in the BBC Young Jazz Musician Of The Year Award.

We talked about:

• Tim’s Winter Encounters Project 
•  Advice on making music deliverable 
• Working with a singer
•  Playing saxophone as an accompaniment
• Working with Chick Corea
• and a whole lot more!

Tim’s Links:

Website: https://www.timgarland.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timgarlandmusic 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timgarlandmuse/ 

You can watch the Youtube video here:

Want to show your love and support for the Everything Saxophone Podcast?

Become a Patron! For as little as $2 a month, you get access to behind the scenes Bonus footage, PLUS searchable transcripts from the episodes.

Just go HERE to keep the show going.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Sax-Man, Elan Trotman, who has quickly become one of the fastest rising stars in jazz with over 10 Billboard topping radio singles in his young career.

Trotman brings his tropical grooves and soulful Caribbean flavors to major festivals and cruises worldwide.

In addition to a successful solo career, the Berklee College of Music graduate has also worked as a side-man with some of the biggest names in the biz including Roberta Flack, Jeffrey Osborne, Johnny Gill, Peabo Bryson, Michael McDonald, Jonathan Butler, Sheila E and Earl Klugh.

Trotman is also the Executive Producer of the Annual Barbados Jazz Excursion which directly supports Elan’s Never Lose Your Drive Foundation in Barbados.

In this episode, we talked about:

• his transition from brass to woodwind embouchure
• Mentors from Berklee who went back to Barbados & the piece of advice from his mentors that he still uses today
• How a missed opportunity with Alicia Keys changed his career
• Thoughts on album releases and touring & what he did to get more opportunities as a touring musician
• How his culture influenced his songwriting
• His foundation and how he helped music students in Barbados
• The under $100 tool he can’t live without

Quote from the show:

Never get complacent, there’s always something to work on.

Links:

Website: http://elantrotman.com/

Never Lose Your Drive Foundation (you can donate here): http://elantrotman.com/foundation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saxmanelan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elantrotman

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elantrotman

YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/etmuzik

You can watch the video of this interview on YouTube here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Danny Markovitch is the co-leader and founder of the jazz-fusion band, Marbin.

Marbin is a progressive jazz-rock band based in Chicago, IL, with a unique story that stands out in today’s music world.

With a do-it-yourself approach, Marbin started touring extensively in 2011, bringing their original instrumental music to every part of the United States. Through word of mouth, Marbin has gained hundreds of thousands of devoted fans all over the world and has sold tens of thousands of albums.

Marbin has released eight albums: Marbin (2009), Breaking the Cycle (2011), Last Chapter of Dreaming (2013), The Third Set (2014), Aggressive Hippies (2015), Goatman and the House of the Dead(2016), Israeli Jazz (2018), and Strong Thing (2019).

Its most recent, Russian Dolls, was just released on its Bandcamp site on November 6, 2020.

Marbin regularly plays in clubs all over the US and in jam and jazz festivals around the world.

In this episode, we talked about:

• Danny’s Introduction to Music in Israel
• What made Danny choose Saxophone
• Military journey and starting from ground zero
• Set-up and Equipment
• Thoughts on practice, routines, and exercises
• Tips on improvisation
• His approach to soloing and songwriting
• Process on music composition
• Danny’s unique partnership with his guitar player Dani Rabin

Catch the video of this interview here:

Quote: 

“Try and push yourself into the unknown”

Links:

Website: https://www.marbinmusic.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marbinmusic 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marbinmusic/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marbinmusic 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Phil Rovner founded Rovner Products in 1974, when he created the Original Dark ligature. To this day, that ligature is still one of the top sellers in the entire Rovner catalog.

Over the years, more Classic models were developed, such as the Light, the Eddie Daniels (the Versa replaced this one), and the Mk III.

When George Reeder, current President and Co-Owner of Rovner Products took over in 2014, the ligature catalog has expanded to include the Next Generation ligatures: The Versa X, the Star Series, The Legacy, The Platinum, Platinum Gold and the Van Gogh.

Since I’ve been getting so many questions on the Van Gogh ligature, in this episode, George gives more background and a demo on how to properly place this unique ligature.

Since 2014, he and his wife and Co-Owner, Lynn, have developed even more products, some of which we are going to talk about in this episode.

And there’s an incredibly special discount that George is going to reveal that you DON’T want to miss!

Great quotes:

“Rovner creates New Art, not an iteration of existing art”

YouTube Video of this episode is HERE

NAMM 2020 Interview is HERE

Links:

Website: https://rovnerproducts.com 

Reverb: www.reverb.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rovnerproducts/  

Instagram: https://instagram.com/rovnerproducts 

Twitter: www.twittter.com/rovnerproducts

Questions about the correct Rovner Van Gogh ligature size for your mouthpiece?

Contact support@rovnerproducts.com 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Doug Levin started playing saxophone at the age of 10. His earliest influences were guitar players like Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Steve Vai, whose sonic explorations would inform his love of effects and pedals. His love of music expanded and his broadening musical capacity led him to play with such greats as The Manhattan Transfer, Buddy Guy, and many more. His musical journey eventually took him to Oberlin College and Conservatory where he met his HornFX partner, Aaron Janik. 

In 2016 they created HornFX, a unique resource for the horn player looking to use effects. Its reviews, books, articles, artist pages, and effects databases are specifically geared to inform any horn player about what effects and pedals might best provide the sounds and capabilities they are looking for.

The goal of HornFX to give the most comprehensive, complete, well-thought-out information and advice to the pedal seeking horn player. 

Aaron and Doug also give lessons and consultations, build curriculums for middle school, high school, and higher education, build custom pedalboards for musicians, and work with some of the most accomplished musicians in the world to develop, build, and refine their effects set-up.

This was a special episode…Doug and I had been talking about how we could help saxophone players now, especially in the age of COVID 19, to refine their performances using effects pedals.

In this episode, we talked about:

 – how solo saxophone players can use effects pedals to enhance their show

 – Doug’s advice for playing vocal melodies with effects pedals

 – Live Streaming; how to sound great using effects pedals

 – the different roles the performer takes when considering which pedals to use

 – how to think like a producer and play less

 – tips for using effects pedals with jam tracks

 – Doug performed a ton of demos

–  and a whole lot more!

Great quotes:

“Play less…think like a producer”

“Go out of your way to mess up and fail”

Links:

Website: http://www.horn-fx.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hornfx

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hornfx/

Email: support@horn-fx.com 

YouTube Video:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Grammy award winning baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian is one of the most in demand musicians on the scene today. 

She is the Winner of the “Rising Star” Baritone Saxophonist in the 67th Downbeat Critics Poll and  Winner of the Hothouse Jazz Awards Baritone Saxophone 2019.

Ms. Sevian came to NYC in 1997 to attend the Manhattan School of Music, and soon thereafter began touring with groups such as Diva and the Artie Shaw Orchestra. 

She can be seen performing as a bandleader around the NYC area with her quartet, the LSQ, or LSAT, her quintet co-led with alto saxophonist Alexa Tarantino, which recently won first place in the “Made in NY” jazz competition. 

She is also co-director of the all female collective “Lioness™️’”. 

As a side woman, she can be heard regularly with the Mingus Big Band, and has performed with countless other groups, notably the Dizzy Gillespie all star big band, Christian McBride’s Big Band, Robin Eubanks Big Band, and the legendary Count Basie Orchestra. 

Her debut album “Blueprint” was released on saxophonist Greg Osby’s label Inner Circle Music to critical acclaim, winning a SESAC jazz award for national performance activity, and receiving rave reviews in publications such as Downbeat, Cadence, and All About Jazz. 

Her sophomore album, “Bliss”, was released spring 2018 on Posi-tone Records, and features all stars of the jazz scene, Alexa Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Christian McBride, and E.J. Strickland. 

Her versatility as a musician has led her to a variety of playing situations, working with the likes of actor Denis Leary, with Maurice Hines in the theater production of “Tappin Thru Life”, and with Harry Connick Jr. in his broadway show “A Celebration of Cole Porter”. 

She is a frequent guest artist at many universities, high schools, middle schools, and jazz festivals across the country. As an educator, she has been teaching privately for over 15 years. 

She is on the jazz saxophone faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, Jazz at Lincoln Center as the director of the “Young Women’s Jazz Orchestra”, instructor for the middle school jazz academy, Summer Jazz Academy at Bard College, and Jazz House Kids Summer Jazz Workshop. 

She has adjudicated at many jazz competitions & festivals, notably the Essentially Ellington Competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Monterey Jazz Festivals’ “Next Generation Jazz Festival”, the Victoria Music Festival in Melbourne, Australia, and the Eau Claire Jazz Festival at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire. Ms. Sevian endorses Buffet-Crampon saxophones, D’addario Woodwinds, RPC mouthpieces, Key Leaves, Robinson’s Remedies, and BG France accessories.

In this episode, we talked about:

 – Lauren’s “Strong Island”/Long Island connection with Donna

 – The solos she transcribed that were most influential

 –  Having a confident mindset

 –  Her tips for increasing your breath support

 –  How to approach performing as a duo

 –  How Greg Osby inspired her to record

 –  Her early years in the NY Jazz scene

  – Her playing partnership with Alexa Tarantino 

 –  How the Lioness Collective started

 –  Being a woman in Jazz today

–  and a whole lot more!

Lioness, Live from Dizzy’s

Great quotes from Lauren:

“From weakness can come strength”

“Be comfortable being uncomfortable”

Lauren’s Links:

Website: https://www.laurensevian.com/ 

Facebook: https://facebook.com/laurensevian  and https://www.facebook.com/LSATband and https://www.facebook.com/lionesswomeninjazz  

Twitter: @BaritoneLauren

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS0F-yjkBxQ 

Instagram: @LaurenSevian 

Recordings links:

Bliss on Posi-tone Records

Blueprint

Lioness -Pride & Joy

Check out the YouTube Video of this episode:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download