Hello from California, next year (hopefully) from Dominican Republic

[Stevan Thomas]

This has been a whirlwind week for me and the internet is a wonderful thing!I just got back from a 5 day trip to the Dominican Republic to fulfill my residency visa requirements. Since I returned, I decided to get my 1945 Martin alto overhauled and being more of a tenor guy, have committed to buy a 1954 Martin tenor from the shop doing my alto. I haven’t played for 25 years, so it won’t be “completely” starting over, but I am glad there is the internet now! My Selmer Mark VI alto and tenor are long gone, but I have my first horn, the alto and am replacing the Martin tenor I sold to buy a Mark VI tenor. Close to 30 years ago I was going to buy an earlier Mk VI that Haight Ashbury music had, made an arrangement to sell my tenor to my teacher Jim Grantham, who the seller knew. I told him when I’d have the money and when I’d be by to pay for and pick up the Selmer. It was one of the darker lacquer horns with the forked side keys. Lovely sound! I showed up and he said he’d sold it the night before to a guy who waved cash in his face! He’s still in business repairing in Berkeley, last name Deutch. My horn is going to St. Louis!

For the alto I have a Meyer 5MM with a large chamber and a second Meyer 5MM with a medium chamber. I still have all my tenor mouthpieces, my total favorite is a Dukoff LD6. Darkish round sound with lots of pizazz. Second fav is a Meyer 6MM with a large chamber. Great middle, a bit thin on the bottom, but that could have been the horn. The 3rd mouthpiece is an Otto Link Super Tonemaster 5 that appears to be an early Babbitt. The “new” (for me) 1954 Martin will be completely overhauled with leveled tone holes, so I’ll see how they all work!

My favorite sax players are (not in order) Art Pepper, Stan Getz, Zoot Simms, Sonny Stitt, Ben Webster, Scott Hamilton, Coleman Hawkins, Paul Gonsalves, Johnny Hodges, Red Holloway, Jean Baptist Illinois Jacquet, Phil Woods, Richie Cole, Paul Desmond and I’m sure a few more.

Scott Hamilton plays (at least back then) an Otto Link 10*. His lower lip looked like an out of place bicep, but what a great sound! I went to Keystone Corner in San Francisco a LOT. I heard many of the greats there and at other small venues in San Francisco. Can you believe Sonny Stitt has his horns stolen? That’s why he was playing Mark VII Selmer’s when I saw him playing with red Holloway.

So while the sax is getting it’s overhaul, I still have a Selmer “centered Tone” clarinet that was given to me by Danny Pateris, one of my first teachers. He played with the Virgil Gonsalves band in San Francisco and the last time I visited him in New York, he was in an orchestra pit on Broadway for “Chorus Line”. It was fun sitting in the pit with him, he played all three saxophones, oboe, flute and probably more. I also have a Sealos flute made by George Koregelous at the House of Woodwinds in Oakland, CA

I’ve had the original lacquer alto for something like 35 years. I have Art Pepper LPs from 1950s recordings and this is the horn he used. Wonderful sound!

I also studied a little with Johnny Coppola who played with Woody Herman. He used to bag on me for anticipating certain notes on an Ellington tune, until I brought in my vinyl. Then he laughed and said he knew why…the whole Ellington orchestra was anticipating that note!

Glad I found this site and look forward to sax fun when the horns get back from the shop!

If you like vintage motorcycle, google “worlds straightest commando” and you’ll find an article I wrote. I have the Norton I bought in 1977, a 1972 Ducati 250 and a 2002 Ducati Sport Touring ST2. All are going to the DR with me.
Stevan

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