The Gig-at-Hand

Written for Saxophone Journal

November/December 2008
by
Dr. Dave Camwell

Saxophonists often spend years developing their personal sound in several genres.
In addition to developing technical elements such as tone, vibrato and tongue and throat
position, many of us are constantly trying new mouthpiece and reed combinations until
we find our perfect setup. This spirit of experimentation also exists in the actual horns
themselves, with many of my colleagues quixotically chasing the next great saxophone.
In my experience, this is a very valuable aspect of the saxophonists’ psyche,
showing that as a whole we are interested in constantly trying new things to improve our
performance. I had tried various horns, reeds, and mouthpieces for years until I finally
settled on my current setup. The ultimate setup is one that enables us to perform in any
setting within a genre. Though many manufacturers claim this ability for their
mouthpieces, the reality is that you may have to try ten Vandoren Optimums, Selmer
C*s, etc. before finding one that really works for you.
This process of continually searching often keeps saxophonists aware of other
mouthpieces that are slightly better in certain characteristics. Perhaps it is just a case of
the greener grass on the other side, but saxophonists are usually very particular about
seemingly tiny changes in timbre and response. For me, the most useful part of this
experimentation is the realization that certain reed and mouthpiece combinations, while
not ideal for our everyday playing, can be very useful for the rare performances that may
call for something different.
I recently performed two works for soprano saxophone at the beginning of my
faculty recital in Iowa. The first was Essenz for soprano saxophone and CD by Marc
Apfelstadt, and the second was Paganini’s Moto Perpetuo for piano, oboe, clarinet (I
played this part, slightly modified for range in places on soprano saxophone) and flute,
arranged by Whitney Tustin. The beginning of the first rehearsal of the Paganini was very
stressful, as my Vandoren S15 (which had worked very well for Essenz) was clearly not
appropriate. The balance between the three instruments made me feel like the proverbial
bull in a china shop. I tried to play as quietly as possible, but the result was a poorly
responsive instrument and a tone that sounded more like Dexter Gordon playing a ballad
than a clean member of a chamber group with traditional classical instruments.
My solution for the Paganini was a Caravan soprano mouthpiece that had a large
chamber and a very small tip opening. These mouthpieces are based on the old Rascher
models and have a very pretty (though somewhat confined and small) sound. While this
would not work in a saxophone quartet or other standard works such as Fitkin’s Hard
Fairy or the Villa-Lobos Fantasia, the Caravan was the perfect solution for this chamber
work that featured linear musical lines handed off rapidly between oboe, flute and
myself.

1 The Gig at Hand | www.davecamwell.com

 Another recent experiment occurred in a symphonic setting. I performed
Bernstein’s On the Town with the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra and needed to
make a setup choice for the “jazzy” style called for in the third movement. My choices
included my Beechler M6S (my regular jazz mouthpiece), a Meyer 6, a Selmer C*, or my
Vandoren Optimum AL3 (my regular classical mouthpiece). After experimenting with
each mouthpiece, I chose my AL3 as I felt it provided a good core classical sound, while
allowing me the flexibility to bend and manipulate notes as I wanted. While developing
our personal sound on a favorite mouthpiece is very important for the majority of our
playing, saxophonists need to also be aware of other types of mouthpiece and reed
combinations that may work even better for a variety of situations.
Jazz saxophonists are notorious for their regularly evolving setups. A somewhat
unrealistic ideal is to find a mouthpiece that will allow you to play in any style. Finding
one mouthpiece that can be used successfully at cocktail parties, rhythm and blues,
fusion, pop, and straight ahead bop gigs is almost impossible. Knowing what setup will
suit the room seems as obvious as not playing all your hippest Coltrane licks at a wedding
gig…that certainly could be one “unforgettable” version of Nat King Cole’s
Unforgettable...
This leads to an often touchy issue with musicians – ego. While we all like to
think we are the next Brecker just about to be discovered, playing the room and gig in a
way that is appropriate to the event and its music is paramount. If that means you need to
play a small chamber Meyer for a background gig instead of your Guardala fusion model,
then do it!
Other instrumentalists are often just as guilty. I once knew a trumpeter who was
convinced that the people at the corporate parties he played were impressed (even deeply
moved) by the sheer volume and amount of high Cs he could play. Having been at one of
these parties, I can tell you this was not the case. Saxophonists can also be guilty of the
allure of the high register at inappropriate moments – save your altissimo chops for a real
club date, not the Tennessee Waltz.
Another example is a saxophone colleague who was deeply offended during a
recording session when asked to slightly darken his tone. This player had worked for
years to develop a great fusion tone and sounded terrific in those situations. However,
this recording session was for a commercial that was going for the smoky sub-tone tenor
vibe. While it is important to stay true to our musical ideals, there is a very fine line
between our principles and the reality of losing present and future work as a result of
refusing to modify our concept for a specific goal.
While it is important to find a mouthpiece and reed combination that really works
for the majority of our playing, saxophonists should experiment (before the gig!) with
various setups that will produce different timbres for individual situations. I can always
book my own gigs where I perform the music I want, played the way I want. However, if
someone is willing to pay me to play, then it shows my versatility to be able to perform in
an appropriate style. Be flexible, be adaptable, and get hired again!

2 The Gig at Hand | www.davecamwell.com