Paul Cohen is one of America’s most sought-after saxophonists for orchestral and chamber concerts and solo recitals.
Dr. Paul Cohen has rediscovered and performed lost saxophone literature, including works for saxophone and orchestra by Loeffler, Florio and Dahl as well as chamber works by Grainger, Ornstein, Sousa, Cowell, Siegmeister, and Loeffler.
He has published more than one hundred articles on the history and literature of the saxophone in the Saxophone Journal, Instrumentalist, CBDNA Notes, Clarinet and Saxophone Society Magazine of Great Britain, The Grainger Society Journal, and the Saxophone Symposium. His seminal column, “Vintage Saxophones Revisited,” was featured in the Saxophone Journal from 1985 – 2002.
Recent CDs include American Landscapes, (American music), Common Ground (chamber music), New York Rising ( American music for saxophone quartet), Heard Again for the First Time (premiering lost music) and his latest, Soprano Summit (soprano saxophone).
Dr. Cohen is currently on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music, NYU, Columbia University and Rutgers University.
We talked about:
- How Paul finds vintage horns (this was before the internet!)
- How the tonal qualities of saxophones changed over the years
- Why people play vintage saxophones
- His reed strength choice for certain vintage saxes
- and more!
Links – Paul’s Videos:
Connosax: https://www.facebook.com/paul.cohen.3386/videos/1015911100004499
Sopranino Demo – https://youtu.be/C28QTwFDl6E
Unheard of Instruments in the Saxophone Family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-b6I1ihh2s
Dr Paul Cohen Talk About Vintage Saxophones at Google: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIaztO0elIo
Percy Grainger’s Lisbon Played on Rare Instruments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zstzhud01zc
Resources
- Soprano Summit -The Movie: https://youtu.be/EZSpqYOafuk
- The Altissimo Primer – on Hickey’s Music site: https://www.hickeys.com/music/woodwinds/sax/methods_and_studies/studies_and_etudes/products/sku100323-cohen-paul-altissimo-primer-the-2014.php
- Paul’s email: paulcohen.saxo@gmail.com
Video:
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Hi Donna, I am commenting yet again, but I must! – fantastic, fantastic two-part interview with Paul Cohen. Thank you. I first saw him in 1992 at a Sigurd Rascher Saxophone Symposium at Yale University. Thirty years ago I attended just as an audience member (with my late father – so wonderful memories there) and we were treated to various selections by a very large saxophone ensemble of which Paul was a part. I just went to my archives and I still have the program from that day. Also, I had been a subscriber to Saxophone Journal (I still have all the issues, some unopened!) and loved Paul’s column. So, this two part interview you did not only taught me so much but brought back some really wonderful memories! Your podcast is just the best, truly and I am going to figure out this Patreon thing shortly….!