Earl Bostic Alto or Tenor?

[Michael]

Hey Johnny,

I got into a conversation with a fellow Sax player about Earl Bostic and showed him some of Earl Bostic’s tunes online. I told him Earl Bostic was an Alto player, but he didn’t believe me because he said his tone is ‘too big and loud’ to be an Alto player. I’ve looked online and everything I’ve found about Earl Bostic says he was an Alto player. Did Earl Bostic ever play Tenor Sax?

[Anonymous]

Bostic used a Beechler mouthpiece with a tenor saxophone reed on his Martin Committee model alto sax.

[john]

not to my knowledge. John Coltrane used to be an alto player, when he joined Bostic’s band he was told that he’d need to switch to a tenor because Bostic was THE alto player in his own band.
Many have been fooled by his big and raunchy sound because he approaches it like the tenor players were doing.
Bostic recorded many LP’s. Tell your friend to go and look at them and see if he’s ever holding a tenor!?
there may be some complilation done by a record company that put a pic of a tenor sax on tnhe cover but that’s just because of their ignorance in knowing the difference.

[Michael]

I showed him Flamingo and Up in Orbit…..he didn’t believe me those songs were on Alto. The guy had never even heard of Earl Bostic–he loves Contemporary, modern Sax music. Nothing wrong with that at all as we’re all different. But I do think it’s important we know at least some history behind our instruments. I mean, guys like Earl Bostic are what helped make the Saxophone for what it is!

I found this full Album “Bostic Rocks Hits of the Swing Age” and will message it to him, the description even says he’s on Alto. The intonation on this album even sounds like an Alto Sax. Check out his tone on the Alto in this album!!! Goes to show we don’t necessarily have to play Tenor to get a big, rockin’ sound. Mind-blowing sound on this full album!

[john]

it’s the biggest rockin sound anyone’s ever gotten off an alto.
it’s unique, I can’t tell you why, but for sure it’s mostly to do with the way he growls….only tenor players did that in his day.
it’s that growl with his big unique natural tone….maybe something in his set up helped him but I’m not familiar with what he used, maybe something you wanna look into.

[Michael]

For sure! I can’t see how in the world he would have gotten such a big sound with an MP that has a small tip opening or anything like that. I can listen to this stuff all day long 🙂 I sent the link to him (Local Alto player I was talking about) earlier today…..haven’t heard anything back yet 🙂

[nirvan1 niravan2]

Hello, tell me, which mouthpiece did Earl Bostic use? Size? Thanks)

[john]

I read he used a Beechler mp, but he used a tenor reed on it to help him create that huge sound.

[saxomonica]

Amazing sound eh 🙂
i read
I’ve been told that Earl Bostic sometimes used tenor reeds on alto mouthpiece. And that he also used a razor blade to for having a buzzing tone. I don’t know if is true? I know a bass player who is playing baritone reeds on his bass sax mouthpiece. Back to topic.
from what I’ve read he somehow fitted a baffle into his mouthpiece that was made from a bit of razor blade – some sax players back then used to modify the baffle and facing of their mouthpieces to get more projection etc

Re tenor reed on an alto mouthpiece the main problem is that ir’s too wide for a lot of mouthpieces so, depending on the mouthpiece, you may get a lot of overhang on each side and the ligature may not open up enough to accommodate it..
Since the cut of a tenor reed is longer than an alto reed it will be more flexible which may suit longer facings and possibly may make things a bit brighter or more buzzy

and,
Re tenor reed on an alto mouthpiece the main problem is that ir’s too wide for a lot of mouthpieces so, depending on the mouthpiece, you may get a lot of overhang on each side and the ligature may not open up enough to accommodate it..
You can use a wet stone (long) to narrow down the wide of the reed.. Not on plasticovers ;), You must be careful so you don’t ruin the tip and thin part of the reed. I just use a bari reed on tenor mpc when I play my Comm I (I) tenor. I think I get more power out from the sax. And a big window and bigger reeds is also a good combo. My Rovner mpc’s have very big windows. It was John Laughter that told me to use bari reeds on tenor mpc. He was on Rovner as well. .

Courtesy of Cafe Saxophone

[nirvan1 niravan2]

Beechler mouthpiece. This is the s5s diamond inaly mouthpiece, only this comes to my mind… Reed from tenor saxophone… hmm

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