Saxophone's Journey: From Military Contract to Jazz Rebellion

Key Quotes

"In the 19th century western europe saw an explosion of instrument innovation where the entire landscape of instrumentation was shifting and where there was money to be made if your improvements caught on with the public this is when many of the instruments we know today reached their modern forms trumpets had been around since roman times but in the 19th century they took on the valved form we know today and flutes went from being conical wooden instruments to metal cylinders but one of the greatest innovations to come out of this time was the saxophone the saxophone wasn't an improvement on a previous instrument it was a brand new invention a hybrid of brass and woodwind that not only managed to secure a spot in the musical canon but also went on to change american music forever"

This quote highlights the significant period of musical instrument innovation in 19th-century Western Europe, emphasizing that the saxophone was a novel creation rather than an enhancement of an existing instrument. The author, J. Coburn, points out its unique hybrid nature and its profound impact on American music, establishing its importance beyond mere technical advancement.

"I think we have to remember we're now talking early 19th century musical instrument making in europe at this time was not done in big factories there was no industrialization involved it was small artisanal individual craftsmen it's much more a craft oriented tradition young adolphe clearly felt the pull of opportunity as a teen he was enrolled in the royal school of music in brussels he was an impressive musician a virtuoso on the flute and clarinet when he was about 20 one composer even dedicated a clarinet piece to adolphe sax"

This passage, narrated by J. Coburn, describes the artisanal nature of musical instrument making in early 19th-century Europe, contrasting it with modern industrial production. J. Coburn notes that Adolphe Sax, despite his musical talents and early recognition as a virtuoso, was drawn back to the family instrument workshop, suggesting a strong entrepreneurial drive.

"Adolphe sax borrowed from his earlier projects the bass clarinets and created a sort of hybrid brass and reed instrument he quite literally took the brass mouthpiece that was on the ophicleide and replaced it with a bass clarinet mouthpiece that's what we believe he did in the late 1830s and the reed mouthpiece would make a smoother softer sound it would make a richer harmonic spectrum adolphe also placed the bore holes scientifically the way he had with the bass clarinet crucially this wasn't just one instrument it was a whole family adolphe sax was looking to improve the entire ensemble and so he created families of similar instruments at different pitches"

J. Coburn explains the technical innovation behind the saxophone's creation, detailing how Adolphe Sax combined elements of the ophicleide and bass clarinet. J. Coburn emphasizes Sax's scientific approach to placing bore holes and his vision of creating a family of instruments at various pitches to improve the ensemble's harmony and sound quality.

"On one side the sax band full of saxhorns and saxophones led by adolphe sax his supporters were known as no surprises here saxons on the other side a traditional military band which at the time was woodwind heavy with two oboes two bassoons and 13 clarinets adolphe sax did away with those oboes and bassoons and he kept just seven clarinets in their place he had 18 saxhorns and two saxophones as well as some more modern trumpets and trombones"

This quote from J. Coburn sets the stage for the "battle of the bands," a competition to determine the superiority of Adolphe Sax's new instrumentation. J. Coburn details the composition of both bands, highlighting Sax's radical departure from traditional woodwind-heavy military bands by incorporating a significant number of his own saxhorns and saxophones.

"The saxophone's new associations did not come without pushback some mostly white musicians felt that the saxophone shouldn't be debased by jazz they thought it was a proper instrument for proper people i've got this magazine column here written by a couple of saxophone purists in 1917 let me just read a bit god save us from the hideous cat calling that is so much in vogue at present termed jazzing the listener who hears some of these jazz players and has never before heard a saxophone is liable to form some very erroneous opinions of the much talked of instrument"

This passage, narrated by J. Coburn, addresses the resistance to the saxophone's association with jazz music from some traditionalists. J. Coburn quotes a 1917 magazine article by "saxophone purists" who viewed jazz playing as "hideous cat calling" and feared it would create negative perceptions of the instrument, illustrating a cultural clash over the saxophone's evolving role.

"The Nazis banned what they called entartete musik degenerate music that included anything with excesses in tempo jewishly gloomy lyrics i am quoting the nazis there they even had an exhibition showcasing all the styles of art that were supposedly morally terrible it was apparently much more popular than the one showcasing fine german art there's a poster from that degenerate exhibition showing a racist caricature of a black man holding a saxophone with a star of david pinned to his lapel he's playing a saxophone with the german words for degenerate music printed over him"

J. Coburn describes the Nazi regime's suppression of jazz music, labeling it "degenerate music" and linking it to perceived moral decay. J. Coburn references an exhibition that showcased "morally terrible" art, including a poster depicting a racist caricature of a Black man playing a saxophone, symbolizing the instrument's association with forbidden cultural expression.