My Saxophone Rebirth

Funny the article linked below came up on my newsfeed just now. I have to admit that, as a saxophonist, feelings of “meh” were washing over me in the last years of performing with large dance bands. The *blues* overcame me from playing too much of other peoples’ pop tunes just b/c it got me a paycheck and made the audience dance. I was already getting bored with myself and tried to understand this mysterious anguish. Maybe I needed to try a more challenging genre? But the thought of hashing out the usual jazz standards was not my cup o’tea. Partly b/c jazz was never my strength, mostly b/c plenty of talented musicians out there already do an amazing job at playing straight ahead jazz. I even toyed with a solo project for awhile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACYm0g2WxSo

Shortly after getting the solo project up and running with the fine talents of Ronn Chick (http://ronnchickmusic.com/), Oscar-nominated Nashville music producer, engineer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, creating most of my back-up tracks, the local pubs couldn’t afford the fees that ASCAP, BMI and others were suddenly charging them for allowing cover tunes to be played, and I had no original tunes to offer. Plus, being a stickler for perfect audio I was setting up/tearing down my own PA gear at every gig which, frankly, was flat-out exhausting.

Much as the story goes, I couldn’t quite figure out where my horns fit into all the new electronic genre that was pouring out. I didn’t even know who I was as a horn player. Years and years of playing and singing cover tunes helped me keep my chops up but my soul yearned to be something new, something I hadn’t birthed yet.

The last couple years have been hell on wheels, purging, packing and ultimately moving house. Finally I have a practice space to call my own, and the lengthy vacation from the horns gave me time to become a blogger, which you are reading now. This has afforded me time to keep expressing myself while having time to re-evaluate my relationship with my heavy metal girls.

No, I haven’t given up music, or the saxophone. But I DO need to meditate with them awhile and let the spirit of the 🎷 have a ❤️ to ❤️ with my muse. We got lotsa time right now with this virus circus going on to ponder our path forward from here. It is my hope that the spirit of music and the 🎷 will join together and blossom a new version of me, as a musician and as a force to be reckoned with. That kind of rebirthing energy takes time, diligence, and soul connection. With that said, stay-tuned! I’m polishing my metal. 😏

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/where-did-all-the-saxophones-go?utm_source=pocket-newtab