In fact, with a grain or two of imagination, almost any term which describes a sensation or perception can be applied to sound: *brilliant *painful *soft *hard *burning *chilling *warm *cool. With regard to sax appeal in particular, the rainbow palette of the saxophone offers a wider bouquet than can be claimed by any other instrument, excepting only the human voice, electric guitar and synthesizers.
"What is an ideal saxophone timbre?" That is like asking - "What are the best colors for a painting?" Obviously, it depends on the style and player of the moment. In blues or bebop, a Rascher-like, pristine tone would be hopelessly out of place. In Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances (big alto solo) the sound of a cutting, big-band lead alto would be treason to both the saxophone and to Rachmaninoff. And neither would be appropriate for the true-grit-raspy-racket that was used in early Rock n'Roll.
With so much variety in sound color, what is it that so many find appealing about the saxophone? What is it that brings first light and provocative color to the mind's ear? Doubtless the answer is not simple, but over the past three or four decades one may be sure that recorded sound - heard via stereo, radio, television and especially in movie theaters Ä has provided the most direct link to saxophone listeners and players of all kinds. It is from those sources that most players received their first impressions of the instrument's timbre.
Returning to the question of an ideal saxophone tone, the issue of which instrument and which manufacturer is best gets a lot of attention. But sometimes the attention misses an extremely fundamental point. Typically, devoted players search for...(continued)
NOTE: This essay on "Saxophone Tone Color" is printed in full
in
"Germaniums for the Clarinet and Saxophone" - 3rd edition, 1999.
