A Saxophone Lesson in Harlem - Jason Marshall on Baritone Sax

[@insaneintherainmusic]

I love the advice of starting off playing too loud as a bari player in big band contexts... a loud bari adds sooooo much swank to the sound!

[@dncovjsbeicj]

I messed up and accidentally made the lowest jazz band at my school out of FOUR freshman year. I had low skill on bari but high confidence and you know what that means...

[@not5weenies257]

Yessirrr

[@dishwasherdetergent3366]

@@dncovjsbeicj woah it's the VGM man

[@dncovjsbeicj]

Oven Reese VGM?

[@aerogames3300]

This is why my band director wanted to move me to bari at first I wanted tenor but then I’ve grown to love the bari as my favorite instrument however some of our altos transferred schools I had to stay on alto

[@robkunkel8833]

Little things like the interviewer shutting up and listening, the lighting, the shading breaks, staging, editing are so good. A nice discussion on vintage instruments. Jason Marshall was terrific. Love this video.

[@bettersax]

Thanks for noticing the small things.

[@PaddieFunk]

Couldn't have said it better

[@onewithall6946]

It's so refreshing to listen to someone who knows what they are talking about. I can listen to Jason all day.

[@ChadLefkowitzBrown]

Love seeing this! Jason and I used to play in the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra together and I used to play in Jason’s big band at Smoke Jazz Club NYC on Monday nights several years back. He’s one of the first saxophonists I got to connect with after I moved to NYC and I’ve always been really grateful that I got to learn so much from playing next to him.

[@Osnosis]

Jason has seriously matured over the years!

[@samurai_sax]

Interesting story!

[@racehoglund7251]

Just bought a bari. This video couldn’t have come at a better time

[@maximillianhallett3055]

Apollo360XD I just bought a Mendini by Cecilio for around 1700 (including shipping and taxes) it’s great! I’ve been playing sax for 20 years and despite it’s lower price it plays very well.

[@let.there.b3.carnage]

Same I'm getting mine tomorrow

[@MyInsanityPersonafiedlol]

@@let.there.b3.carnagehow is it?

[@let.there.b3.carnage]

@@MyInsanityPersonafiedlol tarpleys had issues, it got delayed

[@mmmdisciple]

You are the best interviewer I've seen in years. You stay out of the interviewee's way. So refreshing to see. Plus you are a great presenter. Awesome KZbin channel regardless if someone plays the sax or not. The sax manufacturers, vendors (new & 2nd hand) sell more saxes because of your influence. Many have quoted you in sales. If only you could get a piece of that action. Thanks for all the great videos. All the best.

[@bettersax]

thanks

[@stevieffs]

+1 re the interview technique. Brilliant.

[@thechunkytrucker5111]

I love what he said about his mom singing to him for 18 years. I understand that your sound on the sax is like 90% what you hear in your head, and i had a theory that part of my sound comes the fact that my mom sang to me as a baby, and that it was engrained in my memory and comes out through my horn somewhat.

[@andrewlee390]

Jason is one of, if not the best low sax players I've ever heard, and he is the only one I've heard giving the best advice for bari players.

[@dcp8nts]

Ya know, Jay, you are a great interviewer. You listen, you absorb, understand, and say just enough. Beautiful. Thank you for another great video.

[@bettersax]

much appreciated.

[@Kelekona_808]

Jason really made the ideas of all of his sound inspirations/reference points very clear. He really dropped a ton of knowledge in a short amount of time.

[@derekakien7379]

Wide opening and 4 reeds. My God. No wonder he says we don't put enough air through it. Doubt I would get a sound out of it. LoL. Great player! Great advice!

[@frankzona9867]

Great interview. I'm not a Bari player, but very very valuable info. My take aways: 1. Listen, 2. develop your musical "diet", 3. no custom mpcs, 4. I need to check out modern horns. I play vintage Selmers, 5. Jason Marshall is a badass player and really good guy. Thanks Jay and thanks Jason

[@ssaxman]

Have played with Jason off and on in a big band for years , and he has grown exponentially since I first met him. A really good man and musician.......

[@SkylersRants]

I played bari for three years in college and didn't much like it. I wish we had youtube back then so I could have known more about how to play it better. It's not just a matter of switching from alto to bari, there's a lot of technique that I needed to be taught.

[@abuzman123]

I really enjoyed the interview with Jason Marshall. He is a great contemporary baritone player and he can articulate his deep understanding of the bari. Leo Parker is a legend and we don't hear his name often enough. Thanks Jay

[@PonchMuniz]

I like what he said that his mother sang to him everyday! That’s awesome man! Great interview!

[@grumblekin]

When I first played Bari in high school, I attended a university clinic where the Bari guy told me "if you can double your lung capacity, it still won't be good enough to master this horn...but you have to try." He gave me breathing and chest expansion exercises and told me to always have cardiovascular fitness to keep enough air in my brain to finger the horn while most of the air went to the horn. I started on alto and play a little soprano as well but I can't get over how good the Bari is when you can get steady air going through it at the bottom of the horn...right at the bass of the bell. You blow air towards THAT part, not the top. I found from practice that air is the key for keeping the horn warm and in tune...if you can't get air through it, it'll never warm up. I will be watching this video about 10x and taking extensive notes. Jason Marshall is a master among us.

[@user-sg5tl8ds8w]

Bro Jason Marshall has been one of my favorite sax players for the longest time HOW HAVE I NOT SEEN THIS

[@lucassstache8069]

I can definitely hear the loud tip opening with the hard reed. Very focused sound that projects in a very good way.

[@pdqmusic3873]

Many years ago when I was first hired as a staff musician in a dinner theatre sax section (2nd tenor, but it applies to all saxes in the section) with a full big band, the lead alto came over to welcome me, and he said the following "play up to me, but don't play over me". That's what I did, and I became a regular in the section! Needless to say, I also followed his phrasing, etc. just like Jason is talking about here.

[@stevezukowsky6403]

Leo Parker - yes, yes and yes. He was one of the first jazz bari players I listened to and while he may not have been one of the "giants," it's nice to see Marshall recognize Parker's presence on the horn.

[@markflopresti]

Still the best bari sax video on KZbin

[@IThinkItsKai]

When he started talking about the altissimo range and he said you can overblow a Bb to be F# and B natural to be a G kinda blew my mind. lmao this is what I get for not learning overtones.

[@MrGeolm]

it's very hard IMO at least on my tenor but if you have a high F# key, you can use it to make vent and the altissimo F# and G will be super easy with Bb/B, just add the high F#.

[@lauracarrasco-ruiz3085]

Loved this. So comprehensively explained. I’m a former professional bass trombonist and started playing bari a little over 3 years ago xx

[@cdstoc]

After he discussed air and extra articulation, I immediately realized why certain bari players sound "right" to me.

[@williammurray1620]

Awesome! Thank you so much!! I've been playing Bari sine 1980. Everything he said is so true. I swam, so I had big lungs. My best friend was our Alto play and I always listened to him for direction. Such a great interview. Thank you again!

[@rk702]

Whooo!! I love this interview. Wow!! Jason Marshall is deep. Truth be told I didn't know anything about Jason. I am now a huge fan and look forward to following him.

[@quattrosaxoni3625]

Excellent! Saw Jason with Arturo O'Ferrill in NYC in 2012 and his sound powered the whole sax section-huge!Absolutely agree most sax players don;t use enough air,including myself.Playing bari made me use more air...

[@arcadyt]

Probably the best interview to date! Thanks you guys! :)

[@EmmTeeDubb]

This was fantastic Jay...I could listen to Jason for hours. I play Alto and Tenor but learned a ton from this short conversation...bring Jason back

[@nomadrays]

I play bari sax in jazz band and marching band and this video helped me and I love bari sax content.

[@joeblankenship377]

He listed off a lot of great players. I'll add in Denis Diblasio, whose albums used to be very hard to find, but I just noticed they're available on Spotify now. Also, the band Morphine with Dana Colley on bari. Great rock band where the bari sax is more or less substituting the guitar if it were a normal rock band situation. The album "Cure for Pain" has a lot of good bari riffs.

[@StoneysWorkshop]

Great sound, he is not afraid to play! As a bari player i am always disappointed by others’ airy light sound in any notes aside from Bb or low A

[@regparham4793]

I thoroughly enjoyed this interview. Great information. You have a relaxed interview style that allowed the guest to really open up and share his insights. Just purchased a baritone a couple of weeks ago this information will help in my journey. Bravo!

[@jackdolphy8965]

Maestro Jason is the man, one of the great heroes. Thanks Jay for the interview!!

[@Samuel-ge7im]

I completely agree with his point of view on vintage instruments.

[@charliesolazzo8029]

Like if you're part of Bari gang BOI

[@BariSaxGod25]

Ya BOI!

[@not5weenies257]

Yessir

[@OUCH293]

REEEEEEEE

[@daylinturcios5683]

Gang gang

[@SaxophoneSteveKortyka]

Love these lessons !! Jason is THE MAN!

[@bettersax]

@Steve Kortyka Yours will be the next one!

[@SaxophoneSteveKortyka]

Better Sax awesome!! 💯🎷

[@geminisax6115]

A lot of helpful observations from Jason . Thanks M

[@jeffcopoloff8716]

Great Video .. I went to jazz camp . Nick Brignola was one of our teachers !!

[@rayopeongo]

More cowbell? NO! We want more bari sax!

[@apgmusic4948]

Thank you so much for this video! Without it I would have never listened to Leo Parker. His sound on the bari is so beautiful and big, it makes me want to leave work right now an go practice and study hard all day long!

[@EvenWhyProductions]

This is exactly what I wanted😎 thank you for bari Sax content. I vote for bari Sax Saturday’s. Also finally some clear straightforward bari Sax altissimo fingerings

[@marizuokereke7347]

Wow! What an incredible breadth of insights!

[@davidburckhardt7672]

Amazing interview. Thanks.

[@jamesblessing5208]

Like a few others you've done, I appreciate the thoughts on musicianship, and the role of the particular instrument in service of the music.

[@lawrencedavis2186]

I understand your take on playing bari in a big band. Not many of those gigs around today. I happened to catch Ronnie Cuber playing with the Gadd Gang in Rochester NY . about 20 years ago. He was the Man.

[@matta5348]

Love the bari content. Been a bari-only player for a year and a half, but I just bought a tenor today. It’s amazing, but I suspect bari will always be my first love.

[@jasonjampoler3905]

As a (beginning) upright bass player his insight into "bass cleft" instruments was really exciting. Thanks!!!

[@rhysponting]

Now this is what I call a collaboration!!!

[@johnmarshall2048]

Enjoyed your vid w/Jason Marshall. I’m sure I’ll be watching this one again. There was a lot of info for all sax players to digest. Thanks for another great session!

[@jimmyvonesh3188]

Great interview

[@scottraustin]

Great decision to speak with Jason. Incredible virtuosity and loved his playing with Roy Hargrove big band on Jason's composition, Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey. Bought his chart. Great writing great playing. First note on his solo sounds like an alto it's a crisp clear double high D! Great interview. This is hip.

[@johan0234523]

2:14 I fully agree as a bari player, support the section, and especially the lead alto.

[@MrChazmuz]

As a former lead trumpet player who plays sax a good bit, I've always been able to get a big, full sound, and I attribute that to being a loud, full trumpet player. It doesn't hurt that I'm a 270 lb. guy who has lifted weights his whole life and has a super strong core.

[@konafama]

Yes sir Brother Marshall!

[@kristiangreene8401]

Bruce Williams played his interview with you at jazzhouse kids. He's a super cool dude.

[@JDWorkshop-wn9tt]

I have to watch this more times to absorb this wisdom! Bari is a dream to me. I run a Yamaha series 62 alto from the mid ‘80s I got new. I played it all over Europe on tour and, here. I dig vintage horns. Probably because many are in my price range to try out. I played the Selmers. Love them but, my YAS-62 won out on the trials back then. The Selmer Super Action 80 was the new deal at the time comparably. I tried it. Liked it but, the feel and, sound wasn’t what I was going for. It’s really all personal opinion at the time you are in. I might feel differently at my age and, taste now.

[@saxman8020]

Jay and Jason !! I have a Bari on order. My first Bari ! Haven't played one since High Skool ! (been playing Alto and Tenor since then) -->> Thank you Jay - You are my new Saxophone Instructor. (haven't had one since 1986) . . . and You, Jason - "You have to have percussion in the attack, ..." That is, thus far (only at 5:02 in the vid yet) one of the best dialogues on this topic. Thanks for keeping that forefront. I swear that has worked for me on playing the B-flat Tenor lower register to jam with upper guitar, and as duly noted, also our also beloved Alto Sax ! So - I do stick with the drummer when doing the lower on Tenor "low lines" because my guitar players love to jam to that (My typical quip to befriend new Drummers: "Hey - Are we the only ones doing any physical labor here ? . . . we are sweating are chops off - they are all chilling - no need to barely breathe with all that electrical stuff ? :)

[@eshyi7393]

Definitely gonna try putting my ligature farther down on the reed to help my low notes

[@TheMKEWERBY]

What an impressive range!

[@timthesav]

Great to hear his input on playing bari in a section. My concept as always been "lead from the bottom"

[@joetrahan3760]

This is so awesome! Jason is the best! 😁

[@davidfretham8308]

Great conversation. Bari is my favorite.

[@garyreid6165]

I love the advice about putting more air into the saxophone. I will remember that the next time I buy a new saxophone. My first saxophone was an old Martin alto in a Conn alto case. My brother bought it from a pawn shop. It was a pretty straight forward easy horn to play, considering I was a beginner. I had no idea how old it was but it held up and played well. I found out years later that it had been lacquered. It was originally a silver horn. I sold it for $45.00. It deprecated quite a bit.

[@RamonOchoaMusic]

In my formative years in the 80’s I spent 1.5 years getting comfortable with a Rico Royal 5 on a 70’s Brillhart Level Aire 9*. The first few months were darn tough and I kept going back to a 5* but ultimately was worth it. Even back then the Yamaha 52 I saved up for was so much more enjoyable to play then the old Conn (lady engraving on bell) I learned on.

[@Tijido]

This was awesome just in the first three minutes it said exactly what I had to do with listening to the bass trombone and the lead alto

[@ritamerrill3227]

Great video! I wish he would have slowed down on the altissimo fingerings or shown a diagram, haha! I had to back up 8 times to write it down. I have a growing collection of different baritone player's favorite altissimo fingerings and I like to try them out to see which I like best on my horn. What a great interview! Thank you for having him.

[@bettersax]

A good place to start is with alto altissimo fingerings, I use the same more or less on bari.

[@ritamerrill3227]

@Ross May ooh, I'll check it out. Thank you!

[@ritamerrill3227]

@@bettersax Thanks, that'll be helpful! I more or less have what works, but I was taught by my father who is a tenor player so there have always been a few that I needed to tweak here and there.

[@SteveDew]

I started with alto fingerings as well & modified what I use to end up pretty close to his examples. Had to add a key or remove a key here & there as the altissimo resonance & intonation is completely different from alto to bari. These notes above the break can be played VERY loud. Love the points about air, playing loud, & locking into the bass trombone. In classical concert bands in my view you should lock into the tuba & sometimes euphonium (which is a tenor tuba). Great interview with great insights!

[@davidskey]

Great interview. Very informative. Love Jason’s playing.

[@florinneculai2552]

Very good video. Such a beautiful and resonant sound

[@GarrettGaina]

As a primarily bari player for my whole playing career I absolutely agree on the air and volume in a big band setting. My high school teacher told me from a young age that he would rather tell me to back off and I ran with it. In college we had a clinic with the lead trumpet player from the Basie band and he told me there are two lead saxophones in the big band, lead alto and lead baritone. Check out the Basie recordings with Charlie Fowlkes, he's pretty much the blue print for big band bari playing. I definitely understand the reasoning behind playing new, replaceable equipment. As a live sound engineer I like having current production consoles because they are jam packed with amazing features and are replacements are easy to come by. Does vintage analog equipment sound better? Maybe, but it's definitely heavier and requires a lot more maintenance. I can mix a rock show with a box the size of a standard carry-on and an iPad. With saxophones its a little different for sure. I'd like to think my Mark VI is a happy medium of old and new. It's a much later model low A and it's a resurrected school horn so it isn't worth a ton of money. It's insured and I would honestly profit from it if it were destroyed or stolen, but I would be devastated and I would never find another like it. I also play an old double ring Link which would also be very tough to replace. I would feel a bit less worried about my gear if it were easier to replace, but I suppose that makes me cherish it that much more. Not to mention I don't know anyone making a modern copy of a bari double ring Link.

[@rayopeongo]

I also have a Mark VI baritone with the low A. My parents bought if for me new when I graduated high school as I was really into music at the time and was planning to go pro. I never went pro, but I still play it, and I would be devastated if I lost it. When I show up for the first time with a new band and pop open the old, beat up original case, some of the other sax players react like I drove up in a vintage, mint condition Ferrari. Yes, as Jason said in this interview, newer saxes are probably better in every way, but I don't need that sort of performance, and this sax gives me a little bit of prestige that I don't deserve on my own.

[@nathanwyatt7748]

Excellent interview and lots of great information!!! ❤🙏🏽

[@billynollii7396]

The studio I went to way back was all Conn and King. I miss my Conn Alto. Am planning on going back to it, God willing.

[@OMurchadha]

A Mark VI baritone is the sound, man. Modern horns can sound outstanding, and it's what I play (Yani). If I could afford a Mark VI, no question, it's what I would have. I'll admit, they're somewhat more likely to have intonation issues, but not only have I played one adjusted to within an inch of its life and know how easy they can feel, but I've listened blind half a dozen times to different players each testing different horns in one sitting, I can almost always pick out the Mark. P. Mauriat horns acoustically are fairly even, with a decent tone quality, but it's a little spread, and they're gonna go out of adjustment about every 3 months; Taiwanese horns get better every day, but there are still some corners cut.

[@mikeschouten4732]

Man this guy is the boss.

[@edusaxflauta]

Thank you!

[@eduardopizarro1961]

“Sax players are good looking ones” LOL. Thanks Jay, awesome interview!

[@noahpettibon]

So cool, man! So glad to see Jason.

[@mriz7258]

BEEN WAITING FOR BARI SAX CONTENT!! THANK YOU!!

[@billstotts2346]

Thanks so much for the bari info. I switched to bari from tenor in 1966 and just upgraded to a Ybs 62 silver.i was comparing Mr. Marshall's info to a Saxophone Journal '92 Gerry Mulligan interview. Completely opposite approach.

[@bettersax]

that's funny. There's more than one way to get to the same place though.

[@billstotts2346]

@@bettersax absolutely! Both are top players with great information. I also think that Mulligan is from that time that Jason was referring to with older technology.

[@lukeramdial5074]

Jason is great !!! Would love to see a lesson with Leo P.

[@TheDanSebastian]

this is a great lesson. Thank you.

[@kaitlynobrien516]

i see a video about the bari i CLICK especially because i miss playing it, great video :)

[@nutROn77]

this music is rooted in art, personal expression and respect to all elders that laid very important foundations. I don't see the need to compare baritone players, especially when they are your elders. Comparison is detrimental to art. Pepper Adams, Jerry Mulligan and all the ones that came prior to our birth are valid and should be studies. Its never a good idea to limit yourself when beginning any art studies, unless they are for a conceptual means. thank you and love your channel...this is not commentary on you or your channel just felt a comparison statement made by your generous guest, was not congruent with the spirit of this music. thank you.

[@kevindeibert3369]

Cool ! Most of these subjects interest me even though I don’t play much Bari (or anything else for that matter) !

[@TheJazz625]

I really enjoyed that, and what a character!! And some really good advice!

[@ralfbettker-cuza7432]

A really great video and interview! Thanks a lot!

[@bettersax]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ralfbettker-cuza7432]

@@bettersax Thank you for your kind reply. By the way, are you ever planning on doing anything about the ii-V-I changes? I see learning licks for those changes as my next step in my praticing routine (I'm working on arpeggiating through maj7, dom7, min7 and half-diminished7 now in all keys to have all chordtones present in my fingers when I see a chord) and I really don't know where to start. Get a book and memorize and play around with the licks presented there or transcribe solos - or both (gee, If you're a family dad like me, when? Where's the spare time?)? Since you are a pro player, I am sure you did this as well and could share your experience (please!!)...

[@derekakien7379]

70s. Played 2nd Tenor in a big band with a famous player. She said with a Conn the sound goes up. With a Selmer the sound goes up and out. With a Yamaha the sound goes out. Hence a lot of big band players liked Conns - you could hear what you were playing!

[@noosweat7022]

Very Informative interview with awesome tips to play by.

[@timmao2358]

Another great video

[@bettersax]

Thanks!

[@timmao2358]

@@bettersax I watch this channel 60% because I want to improve as a sax player and 40% because it is fun watching these videos.

[@lonnybierman2548]

Find your best match, then go down 1 and a half so you can play sick. Fantastic experience advise.

[@Slynell1]

That painting though 🎨👌

[@florinneculai2552]

I'll love to see soon a chat between James Carter and Jay

[@bettersax]

Me too!

[@JDWorkshop-wn9tt]

I love Bari! This man whales! So cool! Thanks for sharing.

[@iqi616]

4:48 so true. Good description of the "why".

[@nathanmartin546]

Fantastic

[@fabianm259]

Wow, Amazing

[@jameseason8206]

I loooooooooove Jason's stance on vintage instruments. As a college student in the '80s I was subject to coveting instruments from the '50s and '60s. I love my MK VI tenor, but the pursuit of vintage over everything else is an unsustainable mindset. With CNC machinery, there is tremendous consistency throughout all levels of instrument manufacturing. "Don't play anything you can't replace"!!! (Also, so good to have someone else talk about NOT having a reed ritual. Hear! Hear!)

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

8:42 I would pay to see Jason and Matt Stohrer (pro vintage horn repair tech) discuss vintage vs modern horns, bc both of them are incredibly persuasive--and probably both correct in the specifics of their opinions.

[@skippruitt2391]

This was a great interview🎷🙏🏽