Unconventional Approaches to the Saxophone
I met Franco Espindola, an Argentinian trombonist and improviser at the SIM Summer Intensive in NYC (August 2019). Luckily we both happened to by in NYC again in January so we met up for a duo session! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2FLyMI1P4o This was a completely free improvisation and we didn't talk much about what we were going to... Continue Reading →
For this fourth duo session with Sebastian we decided to focus solely on the tune "They Say It's Wonderful". We decided use concepts/limitations to shape our improvisations as well as develop some more concrete arrangement ideas. https://soundcloud.com/andrew-saragossi-1/sets/duo-sessions-4-wsebastian-stert-bax The first concept was to have Sebastian sing each phrase in a different tempo/feeling/texture and it was my... Continue Reading →
I performed my first ever solo set of improvised music on January 30 2020 as part of the Australian Bushfire Relief Concert organised by Helen Svoboda at De Meldkamer here in Maastricht. I used this opportunity to improvise over a couple of ideas I am now using in a composition called "Going Around in Circles"... Continue Reading →
This third duo session with Sebastian took place during our recent trip to NYC with Conservatorium Maastricht where we attended the 2020 Jazz Congress at Jazz at Lincoln Centre amongst other things. During this session we only improvised, focussing both on using the city itself as stimulus as well as the "Ping-Pong" idea we began... Continue Reading →
The primary musical outlet for my research focus and exploration is my duo MEATSHELL featuring Helen Svoboda (Double Bass/Vocals). In this project our intention is to individually dive into the world of extended techniques on each of our instruments and attempt to utilise this uncommon line-up in unique and novel ways in order to greater... Continue Reading →
I was fortunate over the Summer to attend the School for Improvisational Music 2 Week Creative Intensive at the Brooklyn Conservatory in New York under the guidance of some of my favourite musicians including Ralph Alessi, Tim Berne, Tony Malaby, Michael Attias, Kris Davis and many others. The program was heavily focussed on free improvisation... Continue Reading →
"Articulation lets music "speak", determines the creation of the tone and delineates the metric relationships within the musical text"Netti, G & Weiss, M. The Techniques of Saxophone Playing, Bärenreiter 2010, p.143 Articulations on the saxophone are predominately generated through distinct uses of the tongue and diaphragm (air-pressure) - this could also extend to the idea... Continue Reading →
After our first duo session together Sebastian and I decided that we would meet regularly to really develop our ideas and approach to this particular duo. I am very excited to explore this duo further. https://soundcloud.com/andrew-saragossi-1/sets/duo-sessions-2-w-sebastian In our second session together we decided to work on both free improvisation approaches as well continue our development... Continue Reading →
In this post I will discuss my experience in learning the technique of circular breathing as well as delving into some problem areas on the instrument which I faced in learning the technique. I will delve into more specific and advanced problems which I am still solving in a later post. Getting Started: There is... Continue Reading →
I was pleasantly surprised recently when I came across this piece of John Coltrane entitled "Harmonique" from his 1961 release "Coltrane Jazz" through Atlantic Records. What is interesting about the composition is that Coltrane incorporates consonant and harmonically functional multiphonics into the melody of the song. *NOTE: All references to chords/pitches are in context for... Continue Reading →
Andrew Saragossi 