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Cuban cane for reeds

Author: ruben
Date: 2013-12-07 11:40

I remember roughly a hundred years ago, Russel Procope, who was with Duke Ellington, telling me that the best cane he'd ever had was Cuban cane, but there was no chance of ever getting any again for reasons one can easily surmise. As there is nothing stopping one from importing items from Cuba to France, this wouldn't be a problem here. Does anybody know about the existence of this cane or have any addresses? Thank you.

rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com

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Re: Cuban cane for reeds

Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2013-12-07 14:36

When one can smuggle Cuban cigars into the U.S. then it shouldn't be a problem with reeds...

--
Ben

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Re: Cuban cane for reeds

Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2013-12-07 18:48

I know nothing about Cuban cane, but I'm going to speculate.

Every so often we read the accounts of clarinet and sax players who had difficulty obtaining reeds during World War II. Since it was impossible (or almost impossible) to obtain French cane at the time, reed players would try to get as much life out of old reeds as they could. Synthetic reeds from styrene were also introduced: http://www.pslc.ws/mactest/kidsmac/polycons/reeds.htm
I'm guessing that reed manufacturers at the time tried to find other sources for cane. Perhaps they turned to Cuba, and perhaps it was during the 40s when Procope discovered this cane.

I have the impression that there isn't much cane grown in Cuba today for reed production. Here's an item about donating reeds to Cuban saxophonists in need: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?203293-An-Appeal-To-Donate-Your-Old-Reeds-For-Cuban-Saxphonists-In-Need/page2

Post Edited (2013-12-07 20:59)

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Re: Cuban cane for reeds

Author: ruben
Date: 2013-12-07 19:04

If the Cubans are soliciting reeds for their sax players, this must mean that if they grow cane, they aren't exploiting it. That said, maybe the conditions are right, but it has never occurred to anybody to make use of them. Procope might have got his cane from the trombonist Juan Tizol, who was not Cuban, but from Puerto Rico. Tizol had a Classical background and was familiar with most of the Caribean; a very resourceful man.

rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com

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Re: Cuban cane for reeds

Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2013-12-09 00:22

Tobacco and Arundo Donax like the same things (climate, soil, sun, humidity).

It would make sense that Cuba could be a good place to grow cane that beats most commercial Var region cane.

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Re: Cuban cane for reeds

Author: ruben
Date: 2013-12-09 11:01

-very interesting remark by Dileep. According to my late friend Charles Olivieri, the other element to be added to soil, humidity and sun, would be wind. This, according to him, is the secret of cane from the Var: the violent Mistral wind that blows through the French Riviera and which makes the cane fibrous. The cane is doing what the reed it is made from will do in your mouth: vibrating in the wind.
Is Cuba windy? I would imagine it is. Fidel Castro always gave long-winded speeches full of hot air!

rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com

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