Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Mark VI Tenor 98xxx For Sale

I've got my eyes on another horn, so I've decided to sale my 98xxx Mark VI

I just had the horn overhauled last year by a Philly sax tech, Larry Frank, so it's in great playing condition. The sound is bright and powerful, and it is on the free blowing side of the spectrum. Here are a couple examples of me playing on it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uYKHIpaLAQ
https://soundcloud.com/ben-britton-1...-and-5-trading

Cosmetically it's gorgeous, and physically it's in great shape with no dents and one minor ding on the player's side of the bell. It has a unique honey color lacquer, the result of a relacquer. The guy I bought it from said it was a factory relacquer, which is attested to by a very clean job and the uncommon hue. The engraving still looks very good too. 

I was told that it is a European horn (no mark VI on the bell). The neck did have an aftermarket pickup installed, which I had plugged as part of the overhaul, which you can see in the pictures. There is one spot that looks soldered on the low C key guard (there is a pic of that too). 

Here is a link to pictures of the horn on google drive:
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0Bw...it?usp=sharing

Please email me at benbrittonjazz@gmail.com or call 443 995 4727. The horn is located in Pottstown, PA. The price is $6000 (+shipping/paypal fees). Local buyers are welcome to come try the horn.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Adam Larson's Simple Beauty

Recently Adam Larson sent me his debut album, Simple Beauty. Larson is a young NYC player who already has some heavy momentum to his career, fueled with regular performances, teaching, writing, and a slew of endorsements and reviews. Like a lot of jazz artists today who want to make a career for themselves, he has formed a working group which serves as the line up for this album.

To start off, I'll say that the album is definitely worth hearing. Each member of the group stands strong. There are no weak links, and every player has shows their mastery of the material and their instrument. The writing is interesting, catchy, and thoughtful, and often reflects a rhythmically driven style currently being defined by other saxophonists like Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin (among other instrumentalists).

Adam Larson, as a saxophonist and improviser, holds his own for his debut record. He comes off as confident and creative even during the sometimes rhythmically and harmonically tricky settings he has written into the tunes. His vocabulary sounds like it is driven by improvisation and the development of musical ideas rather than by an emulative set of lines or phrases. There is the occasional reference to a modern tenor player's vocabulary or style, but largely Larson is playing his own musical approach, which is no small feat for a young player or veteran. His sound is clear and full, and while his sound and inflection sometime invoke some of today's great players (Chris Cheek, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin), it is also apparent that Larson is developing his voice in terms of timbre and inflection. Throughout the record Larson shows that he is a gifted improviser and saxophonist who is creating and playing with skill and originality.

Click here is a link to the album on iTunes, and below is a live performance of "Good Day Without You" from the album.