How was NAMM 2011? Really good and I am surprised by that somewhat.

The news from last years NAMM show was sad. Selmer looked like it was going down. They had a very small booth with NO activity at all every time I passed by. Yanagisawa and Keilwerth looked like death was in the wings. Yamaha was slamming but it was there 50th Anniversary in the US and they went all out to celebrate! That was the big 4! Not looking very healthy to say the least.

Last years up and comers didn't look much better with the exception of Mauriat. They looked like a possible player for a much bigger role with a ton of activity and great saxophones! Cannonball looked like a large mistake.

Mouthpiece makers have been coming out of the woodwork and that was no exception at this years show. But right after 2010's NAMM word came out that Roger Greenberg was leaving Mauriat and even the contender was now a question. Add to it some changes at Yamaha this past year with my local So Cal rep and the head of Band and Orchestra leaving and I went into this year worried the the sax world was looking grim!

The show this year was a surprise. Yes the big 4 are no more. Keilwerth is gone! Bought by a parent company and probably gone all together. Yanagisawa is now distributed by Selmer!! They are all but done and I was never a fan of those saxes but always felt the competition was healthy for all concerned. Selmer looked better this year overall - both US and France. I asked hard questions and got politically correct answers, so we will not know anytime soon if they are going to student focus or going away - but I feel like the days of innovation from Selmer are long gone. Thanks for the history though!!

Mauriat was a big surprise for me. They look like they covered the potentially life ending exit of Roger very nicely and the booth was jammed with energy, sales and players! Only time will tell if quality control will remain and become more stable and if innovation will find a home in the new people brought into the organization.

Cannonball has some pretty good saxes but looks like a yesterdays news event in 2011 again!

A big surprise was Antigua - a Sax on the Web favorite that has huge and loud supporters, but a lame sax by any standard until this year. The new Pro One Saxophones are a huge step forward and sell at a fair street price! I was stunned! I honestly never expected to appreciate anything at that booth....

Rumor has it that Powell Flutes is coming out with Saxophones - pro end and very good - BUT - nothing at the show so it is still a rumor. I am hoping it to be true though since the business needs competition to thrive.

RS Berkeley was back with what seemed like some really great Tenors but I didn't dig much else there. I love the company and know they are moving up overall. LEs did start an interesting project and had a copy of Stan Getz main mouthpiece available for sale. Nadir from PMS Guardala was pretty excited about it for his shop in Germany!

Trevor James was all but missing in action - very B company vibe and not looking real stable to this sax player. Descent saxes but I don't understand the hype a few years back.....

There are many that have decided to not be apart of NAMM at all. We used to see a few of them at the IAJE shows but those are now gone. I either missed or they passed - Rhueben Allen Kenny G saxes and Ronnie Laws Saxes - Steve Goodson Saxes - La Sax - Bapista - Rampone Cazani - and?? If I didn't see them it is hard to remember they weren't there!

Many of you know me as a Yamaha guy and that is true - so take that all with a grain of salt! (Everybody is a something guy and comes from somewhere though....) Yamaha finally released the NEW YAMAHA CUSTOM Z Soprano Saxophones - Something I have been talking about for ages! The 82Z Soprano is a totally redesigned improvement on a mistake. The mistake was ending the 62 and 62R models when Yamaha released the Custom 875 line of saxophones! The mistake was fixed this year - 2011!!!!!

Yamaha released a straight and bent neck - one piece body - just like the old 62 and 62R! Rampone Cazani is the only company  know of that resisted the financial argument regarding cost for 1 piece soprano saxes and then carrying a line of soprano saxophones twice the size of any other sax manufacturer. The removable neck was always a cost point and sale point issue - never a sax quality/improvement issue. This has been argues for years but now no one cares - You can order a new Yamaha Custom Z Soprano and the best soprano in the world will likely be universally named a Yamaha once again!

The differences between the bend and straight are so big but I honestly believe it will just be a matter of your previous preference - you play straight now - you will love the straight - play bent now - I do - I LOVE the bent!! For those new to Soprano Sax - the straight is louder with a little more edge - the bent is soft and sweet - it comes down to your personal concept of sound and past playing experience.

So - LOVED THE NEW YAMAHA SOPRANO!!

My other fun moments include more time on the Contra Bass Flute (crazy to play but so freakishly huge and cool), first time playing a Tubax Contra Bass Saxophone (felt like crap but played really easy and was fun!), Altus Bb Flute (So strange to be in Bb and a sound that bridged the C flute and Alto Flute tone - very interesting and a first for me), $60,000 dollar Gold Haynes Flute (WOW- awesome flute, sound, design, and new changes and life all over that company now with many old artist coming home to Haynes and a buzz I didn't expect) -- Pictures and Video from the Show and some of the Frankenstein instruments will be posted on YouTube and FLICKr and of course all links and latest information is always found right here on the BLOG!

GOTTA RUN - LONG POST and I have to get to work --- Check back soon for more and PLEASE drop in a comment on any of your thoughts sax players - anyone else at the show? Anyone else play these things recently? Love to hear from y'all!!


Greg Vail - SAXBOY - gvSAXBOY - Saxophonist at large......