Klarinet Archive - Posting 000528.txt from 2000/11

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Presidential Saxophones
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 12:48:28 -0500

Ed Lacy noted:

<<<[W]e mustn't forget that President Clinton was a pretty fair blues tenor
saxophonist at one time.>>>

Michael Dukakis was a fair avocational trumpet player as well.

There is one tangential aspect to all of this that bums me out, though. I
recall an article in one of the music magazines describing the swag that
protocol requires heads of state to "give" each other at state dinners and
such. Apparently, President Clinton has been the recipient of a number of
tenor saxophones, often highly engraved etc. for the occasion. I recall the
number being over a dozen, and growing.

Under U.S. law, he won't get to keep them -- gifts to government employees
over a certain amount ($25, I think) are the property of the U.S.
government. Consequently, there is a rack full of fine tenor saxophones at
the Smithsonian. Pity they could not be donated to high schools.

kjf

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