We are very excited to invite you to another thrilling event in our 2012 concert/clinc series at Saxquest. This coming Sunday (September 9th) 2-4PM we will be welcoming world class studio and performing artist Bob Sheppard for an informal concert and clinic. Mr. Sheppard will be accompanied by Greg Wilson and Eric Falcon of MACSAX. The event is free and open to the public and will be hosted at Saxquest.

Bob Sheppard has played with an impressive list of talent in the world of jazz, rock and pop. Highly celebrated for his work with Steely Dan and his recent Grammy winning work with Joni Mitchell, Sheppard also has worked extensively with Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver and Chic Corea, just to name a few. You can also check Bob out on his recent studio release “Close Your Eyes” recorded for BFM Jazz in 2010. Having received a Masters Degree from the Eastman School of Music, Bob is a currently on faculty at the USC Thorton School of Music.

This Sunday’s event will be two fold. It will include an informal concert with the Bob Sheppard jazz trio featuring local St. Louis musicians Chris Watrous on bass and Drew Weiss on drums. The event will also be a show case for the MACSAX Company whom will be presenting their line of saxophones and saxophone mouthpieces. This line up features the new Bob Sheppard Signature series hard rubber mouthpiece for tenor and alto saxophone. MACSAX will also be presenting their brand new Empyreal Model tenor saxophone. Eric will also be available for mouthpiece consultation and re-facing work. If you have a mouthpiece you would like Eric to check out or work on bring it in. His work is fantastic and he is a prominent innovator in mouthpiece design and facing work.

It is with great enthusiasm that we present this event to you! Don’t miss out on this rare and unique opportunity to enjoy some music and check out some of the latest and greatest products on the market brought to you by MACSAX.

We hope to see you at Saxquest this Sunday –September 9th 2-4PM

–also Mark your calendar for our next event on October 20th (2PM) with Victor Goines

Its with terrific fanfare that I invite you out to another wonderful event at Saxquest. Next week on Monday evening (Aug 20) from 6-8PM we’ll be hosting a concert with 3x Grammy Award winner JEFF COFFIN and his Mu’tet. The event is free and open to the public and will be hosted at Saxquest.

The Mu’tet takes it’s name from the word mutation, giving way to Coffin’s belief that music is constantly changing and mutating. In addition to the Mu’tet, Jeff has been a member of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones since 1997 and has been with the Dave Matthews Band since 2008.

Other members of the group include legendary and iconic players:

Felix Pastorius, son of bass great Jaco Pastorius, roots the Mu’tet on electric bass. He has been playing with the group since 2002. Felix has also been touring recently with legendary jazz drummer Cindy Blackman while living and playing in NYC. Felix is a gifted composer and a monster bassist with great chops and sensitivity.

On drums is the legendary Roy “Futureman” Wooten. Wooten is a five-time Grammy Award-winning performer with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. A percussionist of international acclaim, more recently, Wooten has developed a new electronic instrument called the RoyEl, which resembles a piano but plays notes not found in the traditional western music scales. This instrument is based on the periodic table of elements and the golden ratio.

Bill Fanning rounds out the horns on trumpet. Bill has performed with Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, the Mu’tet, Glenn Frye (of the Eagles), George Garzone, Jon Faddis, Maria Schneider and George Russell. A brilliant improvisor and musician, Bill is stretching the boundaries of the trumpet.

Chris Walters is a brilliant piano player know for his fresh and inventive compositions and improvisations. One of Nashville’s most in-demand sidemen across multiple genres, and an active front-man, Walters has a completely unique and compelling sound.

Its such a tremendous thrill for us to bring such a fantastic event to you! If you haven’t been to a Saxquest event yet, be sure this one doesn’t pass you by. Please print and distribute the attached flier to as many people you know who may be interested. Thanks for your support!!!

I hope to see you at SAXQUEST next Monday – Aug 20 at 6pm.

Other upcoming events include:

– September 9 (2PM) Bob Sheppard (Steely Dan’s saxophone player)
– October 20 (2PM) Victor Goines (Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra tenor man)

I’m very excited to invite you out to another great event at Saxquest this weekend (Saturday, August 4) from 1-3pm (*NOTE: Time changed from 2pm to 1pm). We’ll be hosting jazz tenor saxophonist, Chip McNeill, who will be performing with his full quartet, the Chip McNeill Quartet. As always, the setting will be informal and refreshments will be served.

Saxophonist and educator Chip McNeill is Department Head of Jazz Studies at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Since the late 1980’s he has been an active road musician. He played as a regular member of the Woody Herman Band for a couple years, toured with Maynard Ferguson for seven years where he eventually was made musical director, and toured with Arturo Sandoval where he was playing 220 nights a year while teaching full time at the college level. Chip’s high energy level shows through in his playing. He has the rare gift of possessing both “monster chops” (where he can play at lightning speeds over complex changes) and “exquisite sensitivity and musicianship” (where he can fold melody and sound into a beautiful musical experience). Chip will be performing with his quartet, the Chip McNeill Quartet consisting of Chip Stevens on piano, Matt Hughes on bass, and Jay Sawyer on drums, all top level players. This is certainly an event not to be missed.

I’m delighted to bring such a wonderful group into St. Louis and hope to see you there. Remember, our enthusiasm to continue hosting these kinds of events depends on how many people we get coming to check them out. Thanks for your support!!!

Also, mark your calendar with the following upcoming Saxquest clinic/performance dates:

– August 20 (6PM) Jeff Coffin and his Mu’tet (Dave Mathews saxophone player)
– September 9 (2PM) Bob Sheppard (Steely Dan’s saxophone player)
– October 20 (TBA) Victor Goines (Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra tenor man)

We have another great event this week. On Thursday evening, July 14, at 7 PM, we’ll be hosting Dave Pietro at our shop. This will be an informal masterclass/clinic, and as always, refreshments will be served.

Dave Pietro is a gifted and in-demand musician, composer, and educator, and has been on the music scene in New York since 1987. He has toured through more than 30 countries, and the impressive list of artists he has played with includes some of the biggest names in the music industry. He was the lead alto saxophonist, and recorded 6 CD’s with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra from 1994-2003. In 1996 he was the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 2005 and 2007 he received grants from Chamber Music America’s New Works Programs to compose and perform his new extended work “The Chakra Suite.” As a leader, Dave has released 6 CD’s which have been very well received.

Dave received his bachelor’s degree in music education from North Texas State University and then his Master of Arts degree in jazz composition from New York University, where he currently holds the position of Music Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies. Dave has given hundreds of workshops and concerts at schools around the country. You can see his website here: http://www.davepietro.com/

This is a wonderful opportunity to get some insight into the saxophone from a premier player and educator. Please come out, we rely on your support to continue to host these events!

Also, mark your calendar with the following
upcoming Saxquest clinic/performance dates:

– August 20 (7PM) – Jeff Coffin & his Mu’tet
– August TBA – Chip McNeil Quartet

I’m very excited to invite you out to another wonderful free event at Saxquest. On Sunday, June 10, from 2 pm – 6 pm, we will be hosting “A Taste of Keilwerth” featuring Grammy award winning saxophonist, Kirk Whalum. As always, the setting will be informal and refreshments will be served.

Keilwerth Saxophones has recently had a rebirth and “A Taste of Keilwerth” is your opportunity to check out these amazing saxophones. Every Keilwerth model will be on hand for you to see and play test in all keys, including the famous SX90R, the “Shadow”, and the “Vintage”. A lot of thought and effort has been put into this relaunch, so you definitely want to  mark your calendar for this event.

Kirk Whalum is a Grammy Award winner and an 11 time Grammy nominee. From his gospel roots in Memphis, he developed his sound in the busy Houston, TX nightclub scene, before finally settling in Los Angeles. There, he became an in demand session player for many top artists, including Barbara Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones, and Whitney Houston. His latest cd release “Romance Language” pays homage to the much revered 1963 ballads album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. You can check out his website here.

On Sunday Kirk will be showcasing the new Keilwerth horns. He’ll be playing with a full rhythm section every hour on the hour for approximately 20-30 minutes, and then allowing time for others to try these horns out as well as ask questions. We’ll have door prizes and special gifts for those who complete the “Keilwerth Tasting” comment cards. So get there early so you have a chance to play all of the horns and bring your mouthpieces. For those needing to borrow mouthpieces for instrument types you don’t own, no problem. We’ll have sterilized mouthpieces that you can borrow and free reed samples. We’ll end the event with an open jam session.

As always, we’ll have free refreshments on hand. We’re grateful to Keilwerth Saxophones for making this event possible.

Also, mark your calendar with the following
upcoming Saxquest clinic/performance dates:

– June 14 (7PM) – Dave Pietro
– August TBA – Chip McNeil Quartet

We’ve been working for over a year now to find a time when Diana Haskell (of the St. Louis Symphony) could present at Saxquest. So, its with great excitement and eager anticipation that I announce a clarinet recital/masterclass with her this Saturday from 1-3PM at Saxquest. Diana Haskell will be performing solo and duet pieces (with Audrey Denny) as well as presenting a masterclass. This is a terrific opportunity for anyone interested in clarinet to listen intimately to and to learn from an incredibly high-caliber player with a wealth of experience.

Diana Haskell is Associate Principal Clarinet and E-Flat clarinet with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as soloist on numerous occasions with orchestras throughout the United States. She is a world-class educator having taught students receiving scholarship offers from some of the most prestigious clarinet programs in the country.

Audrey Denny is currently a clarinet specialist at Saxquest, Inc. and clarinet instructor at the Community Music School at Webster University. Audrey apprenticed in clarinet repair with Morrie Backun and also worked for Conn-Selmer. Always an active player, she has performed concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the Barossa Quintet.

I’ve attached a flier with all of the details. Feel free to print and distribute to students or anyone else who may be interested.

Also, mark your calendar with the following upcoming Saxquest clinic/performance dates:

– April 19 (7PM) – Lauren Sevian
– June 10 (2PM) – Kirk Whalum and a Keilwerth saxophone tasting!
– June 14 (7PM) – Dave Pietro
– August TBA – Chip McNeil Quartet

I’m very excited to invite you out to another great event at Saxquest this coming Thursday evening (April 19) at 7pm. We’ll be hosting jazz bari saxophonist, Lauren Sevian, who will be performing and giving a clinic with a St. Louis based rhythm section. As always, the setting will be informal and refreshments will be served.

Lauren Sevian is a Grammy award winning bari saxophonist based out of New York. She has a huge sound and a traditional lyricism that brings back memories of Nick Brignola. In 2003 she became a regular member of the Mingus Big Band and has performed with them throughout the US and internationally. Lauren has two quartets in New York, the LSQ (bari, piano, bass & drums) & the Eb Quartet (bari, alto, bass, & drums). She has positioned herself as being one of the top-call bari saxophonists in New York. If you haven’t had a chance to check out her wears, don’t let yourself miss this concert!! You can check out her web site here (http://www.laurensevian.com).

I’ve attached a flier with all of the details. Feel free to print and distribute to students or anyone else who may be interested.

We’re grateful to Buffet Crampon and Rico Reeds for making this event possible.

Also, mark your calendar with the following upcoming Saxquest clinic/performance dates:

– April 21 (1-3PM) Diana Haskell/Audrey Denny clarinet masterclass
– June 10 (2PM) – Kirk Whalum and a Keilwerth saxophone tasting!
– June 14 (7PM) – Dave Pietro
– August TBA – Chip McNeil Quartet