Some of My Instruments
(Paquito D’Rivera, published his first video Masterclass talking about his instruments. This is the first in the series.)
Okay, okay… hello everybody. Paquito D’Rivera here. Well here with a collection, my toys collection. I have a lot of fun playing these instruments.
Jazz Doublers
Let’s talk about doublers. I’m not a doubler. I don’t call myself a doubler. Because doublers are people like Lawrence Feldman, or Roger Rosenberg, or Eddie Daniels! Who learned to play the trombone just for playing a gig with a sextet in La Playa in Puerto Rico many years ago, subbing for Barry Rogers who was a great Trombonist.
The key of all doublers, which is a guy who is insane, from planet Mars, called Scott Robinson, he even played this instrument, with swing, which is impossible to do that. This is called the “Ophicleide” or “Figle” in Spanish. It was used in traditional Cuban music. I believe it was used as a Tuba. It is a Tuba. Hector Berlioz, the last composer who used this instrument before the valves (instruments).
What a crazy instrument right. It was supposed to be the grandfather of the bass clarinet and the saxophone also, invented by Adolph Sax.
Passing the Legacy – First Saxophone
So, the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, I’m not sure if I’m pronouncing it right “without music, life would be a mistake.” So that’s why my father gave me a saxophone. He invited me to this wonderful love of music.
…my father gave me a saxophone. He invited me to this wonderful love of music.” Paquito D’Rivera
(click to tweet)
He played this tenor saxophone, he was a classical saxophone player, and a he was a representative of the Selmer company in Havana (Cuba) in the 1940s and 1950s. But for some reason he always played his Martin tenor, this instrument here. It’s a Martin tenor from 1943. Like in the picture back there.
Talking about mouth pieces for we saxophone players in trying to play, always talking about mouthpieces and reeds and some of that. This is an old Lawton mouthpiece, like the one that the great George Coleman used to play. This is a Lawton 7 Star B and of course a Vandoren reed number 3. I use Vandoren reeds number 3 in all my instruments.
…I use Vandoren #3 reeds in all my instruments.” Paquito D’Rivera
(click to tweet)
As I was saying, my father gave me a soprano saxophone in 1953, imported from Selmer company in a Paris. So, he gave me this soprano (saxophone) and ever since, I have since I have tried to learn how to play. This is a wonderful curved instrument, there are very few of them around in the world these days, the Selmer Curved Soprano (saxophone).
Beautiful sound, eh? It is perfect for the hands of a five-year-old that I had in 1953. So, he gave me this soprano in 1953.
Preferred Soprano Sax
Many years ago, I discovered the wonderful Yamaha 62, a straight soprano (saxophone), a lot more comfortable to play then that old thing (curved soprano sax). With this, I did recordings around New York and around the world. The intonation on this is instrument unbelievable, for a soprano (sax). The soprano sax is very hard to play in tune. But this Yamaha 62 will make your life a little better. For some reason, they stopped making this model for many years, I don’t know why.
I asked them once “why did you stop building this instrument?” Such a wonderful instrument, the best soprano ever made, in my opinion. So now, they are making the (soprano) Yamaha 62 again.
The soprano sax is very hard to play in tune. But this Yamaha 62 will make your life a little better.” Paquito D’Rivera
(click to tweet)
A very versatile instrument. This is my original mouthpiece that my father gave to me in 1953, this is a Selmer letter D soprano mouthpiece. I learned from Jimmy Heath, the soprano is such a small instrument, you aren’t supposed to play with a big mouthpiece. Why would you need that? Such a big mouthpiece to play a small instrument. If you have a microphone there, and even if you don’t have it, you know, the beautiful sound of the soprano, you can get it better if you have a smaller mouthpiece. This is a Selmer letter D.
…you know, the beautiful sound of the soprano saxophone, you can get it better if you have a smaller mouthpiece.” Paquito D’Rivera
(click to tweet)
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