Klarinet Archive - Posting 000429.txt from 2002/07

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Bass Sax
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 08:24:48 -0400

"Apostle Luby D. Jackson" wrote,
>This is a clever interest of mine. What pieces are scored for
>complete sax family and what key is the bass sax pitched too?

The bass sax is a B-flat instrument, pitched one octave below the tenor sax.
The bass is not considered a solo instrument, I don't play with any groups,
and I've never found any solo music I like that was written especially for
bass sax! Mostly, what I do is improvise from the bass pedal lines of Bach's
organ music, or I play opera arias written for bass singers. Since I listen
to Mozart opera a lot, I can usually remember the tunes. Sometimes, I play
music written for tenor sax, since it's also a B-flat instrument, although
IMHO, a lot of the tenor sax music sounds too strange an octave below where
it belongs.

If you want to hear brilliant playing on bass sax, I highly recommend any
recordings by The Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra. The Nuclear Whales
play with the whole family of saxophones, from the tiny E-flat sopranino down
to the E-flat contrabass (6'8" tall, playing an octave below the baritone
sax). The Nuclear Whales have an outstanding bass sax player, Art Springs,
(who also plays tenor sax). Their contrabass sax player, Don Stevens (who
also plays soprano and alto sax) does virtuosic things with that King
Dinosaur of saxophones that I wouldn't have thought possible.

The Nuclear Whales musicians make their own CDs (Whaleco Music), write most
of their own music. They sell sheet music for some of their compositions
(mostly saxophone quartets and quintets, if I remember right) through their
web site,

http://www.nuclearwhales.com/

It's a great website, with lots of photos. That contrabass sax makes my bass
sax look petite! They're planning a trip with a lot of other saxophone
players, to play on top of the Great Wall of China in 2003.

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