| Q.
Tell me about your background as a
player... |
| A.
I was around music as long as I can
remember. My father, Bob Alexander, was a very busy studio trombone
player on the New York scene from the 1950's and I used to get to sit next to
him in several of the big bands he played in. I can tell you that some of
the stuff I heard from my vantage point in the trombone section used to make my
hair stand on end! |
| He played lead on the Tonight
Show when it was based in New York and gigged with Frank Sinatra, Benny
Goodman, and a host of others, so I was always around musicians and got to
learn what "hip" meant at a very early age. |
| I kind of messed around in
high school with trombone, drums, keyboard, and bass, but didn't really study
anything until I got "hit" with a kind of message that music should be my
direction in life, and this took place after some extended listening to masters
like Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles, Wayne Shorter, etc. I started
out playing saxophone at the ripe old age of 24 when I was attending
California State University. |
| The amazing thing was that in
a very short time I was able to hook up with some of my "heroes" and get a
chance to hang out and study with them. One was Vel Selvan , who was a
beautiful teacher and really helped get me going. A little after this, I
met Mel Ellison in San Francisco and if there ever was an unsung but great
tenor player, it is Mel. He had a very fresh and unique approach to the
sax and just blew the minds of a lot of guys on that scene in the mid
70's. |
| I then moved on to Joe
Henderson and Dave Liebman, and what else can I say about those two
giants??? Some of the heaviest players in the Jazz legacy! |
| We all know about the great
Joe Henderson and I was fortunate to get in some lesson time with him in
the '70s. His music and approach to saxophone playing made a deep
impression on me and obviously he has done a lot for the advancement of jazz
music. When you hear Joe play a note for two seconds, you know it's
JOE! And when you hear a number of saxophonists these days, take a listen
for the "Joe" concept because his influence may well be apparent in their tone
and lines. |
| I met Lieb at a gig he was
playing when he lived on the West Coast. I walked up and introduced
myself, and then laid an an Otto Link tenor mouthpiece on him that I had
modified. He flipped out over it and then I became his "mouthpiece cat"
for the next few years. I'll tell you, I heard him play some things that
just rendered me speechless.....the kind of lines that seemed to the sandblast
paint off of walls! Needless to say, I learned an awful lot from working
with him and also about what it means to be a jazz musician and a human
being. He is a true asset to the international saxophone "brotherhood"
and we remain great friends to this day. |
| I moved to Japan in '82 and
didn't do much playing in the first five years, but in '86, I decided to go
back into it full bore, so I set up a serious woodshed schedule for
myself. In the next year, I was lucky to meet Mike Ellis, a sax player
who had moved to Tokyo from Paris. We just hit it off right away and shortly
after put a sax quartet together which was soon followed by a quintet called
META. META was a vehicle for Mike and my original compositions and it was
a great band to play with--kind of like a laboratory where everyone was on
their toes and always trying to "make it happen". |
| We got the chance to make a
few CDs, play in the local clubs here in Tokyo, and do a little touring, TV,
etc. I was also playing in a great funk band called Motherland, and some
various other assorted jazz units (and a chance to gig with the wonderful Eddie
Gomez). |
| |
| Q.
Did bad experiences with reeds lead you
into the reed business? |
| A.
Around this time I began to notice
about how poorly the reeds I was using seemed to be performing. I
remember a specific gig I was on in Nagoya where I had brought 5 or so boxes of
a famous brand. I played through reed after reed until I had gone
through all of them and not one really worked. It was unbelievable! Was
the mouthpiece or horn messed up? Was it just me? |
| But I recall that I had been
hearing the same comments from other sax players I knew on the scene, and I
didn't remember having so much trouble even when I had been less experienced as
a player. It was a serious drag for me to the point where I eventually
decided, "Man, I can't go on like this...I've got to get something
better". |
| This is where it really
started and to this day, I can't believe how lucky I was not only to have made
reeds for myself, but to have them produced and have other players tell me they
worked for them, as well. And that's what has made it all worth it....all
the great comments I've received. |
| It seems that there is a
growing core of "true believers" out there and I feel continually grateful that
in some way, these reeds may be helping them in their musical
quest. |
| Q.
Do you have any manufacturing
background? What I'm getting at is this; many of us can imagine the perfect
reed, but what did it take to actually sit down and design one, and then
manufacture and market them? |
| A.
No, I didn't really have much formal
background in manufacturing saxophone reeds. However, another
manufacturing process on a very different instrument has helped me enormously.
It started when I was going to NYU in 1970. I became very interested in pipe
organs and pipe organ music, especially that of the remarkable French composer,
Olivier Messiaen. |
| I received a dramatic
introduction to what these organs were all about quite by chance. In
early I970, I headed off to Grace Church in Manhattan for an organ concert I
had heard about and found the doors of the church locked (wrong day!) .
As I was about to turn around and leave, a guy came up to me off the street and
said that the concert was planned for the following week and after a little
conversation, he told me that he himself was the curator of the
organ. |
| I let him know that I had a
great interest in the musical and mechanical sides of pipe organs and he then
kindly invited me into the church to check out their instrument. I went up a
small ladder with him, and into room after room of pipes of all shapes and
sizes. I had never seen anything like it.... |
| Usually these rooms are hidden
by the front showing pipes, so I didn't even know they existed. Then he
went down and played a couple of Messiaen-like chords when I was still in one
of the larger pipe chambers. Suddenly I was hit from all sides, as well as from
above and below, by an array of hundreds of blasting pipes. When he hit the
16ft pedal Bombard (talk about sub contrabass sax!) the whole floor literally
started shaking! It was a veritable wall of sound, and it just knocked me
out. |
| I told the curator that I had
to find out more what pipe organs were all about and I started my
apprenticeship with him the next day. His name was Randy Gilberti and he
was an excellent teacher. He now is the organ curator at the largest
cathedral in the Western Hemisphere, St. John the Divine in New York
City. |
| A division of pipes called
"Reeds" are the ones whose tone is created by the beating of a curved brass
reed against a flat brass mouthpiece called a "shallot". So what we have
is basically a wooodwind mouthpiece in reverse, with the curve built into the
reed which beats against this flat, brass "mouthpiece". |
| Great skill and intuitive
sense are required to make these pipes and reeds. I remember spending
many long hours in discussion with Randy and my next employer--the renowned
organ restoration engineer Nelson Barden of Boston--about reeds, pipes, and
other mechanical and design aspects of these magnificent
instruments. |
| Nelson was a very patient and
super generous teacher in sharing his vast knowledge with me and I know that
some of the concepts I later developed were influenced by what I learned from
both of these eminent organ specialists and I'll always be indebted to them for
that. |
| |
| Q.
So you had some transferable skills
when you started designing a saxophone reed? |
| A.
I was influenced by some design
concepts of pipe organs and also their tradition, as well: learn from the past
and utilize present manufacturing methods. One skill I think I developed
was one of listening to and analyzing tone and response. I literaly spent
hundreds of hours trying to concentrate on the sounds these pipes made as they
were being tuned and "voiced" by these craftsmen. Organ reeds are voiced
by blow-testing and adjusting them in the process. It is the challenge of
the pipe voicer to make these pipes speak well with a responsive, full tone and
great aural focus and "feel" are required to achieve this. |
| A saxophone or clarinet reed's
contour is based on a system of matrixed measurements, graphed out so that
every area is precisely gauged at different points, from the tip and on back to
the rear of the slope. |
| Several models of reed cuts
from some time ago are in a generally similar range design wise, but it is the
subtle differences that can make the reeds respond differently. |
| When we started with some
model prototypes for Superial and "DC" we did extensive play testing. That's
where the "feel" work begins, because you are trying to zero in to get a
balance of as many positive characteristics as you can. Does the reed
blow freely, with enough "body"? Does it have projection power, yet
go down to pianissimo gracefully? How are the lows in relation to the
highs? And does it have consistency throughout the registers? |
| There were many of these check
points to consider. But actual playing of the prototypes points led to
the direction I wanted to go in. In this way, I experimented with
designs that might favor a darker or brighter harmonic spectrum, or larger
projection without loss of any important tonal nuances, for
example. |
| |
| Q.
So we're talking about compromise as a
part of the design and manufacturing process? |
| A.
Right. There is no "perfect" scientific
system for a "perfect" reed, as far as I'm concerned. There are
compromises to be made, but you have to try to "hone it in" as close as you can
and believe me, that's a real challenge, especially considering all the
different horn, mouthpiece, and ligature set ups out there. For our
reeds, the final cut profiles came down to what I felt were tonal and response
characteristics that would bring out the best in the mouthpiece and saxophone
for the type of tonal palette I favor . |
| These were subjective
decisions based in part on the kind of sound I hear in my head, coupled with
the things I learned from my own playing experiences. And this sound is
undoubtedly influenced in a major way by the playing of some great saxophonists
who I love and have been listening to for years. Naturally, another key
deciding factor was the way the reeds FELT when I played through them and this
had a lot to do with the way they eventually turned out . |
| It's kind of like what Charlie
Parker said "If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn".
I attempted to come up with reeds that really "play" and are "alive" with an
inherent tonal quality built into them that kind of matches my idea of harmonic
integrity and warmth. |
| |
| Q.
So you're in Japan, building a better
mousetrap. Where do the French fit in? |
| A.
It is the expertise of the people in
France who I collaborated with in the designs that make our reeds what they
are. I am indebted to them for that and their excellent work in
manufacturing. They are real masters who carry on in the long, proud
history of French reed making, and I have been most fortunate to be able to
work with them. |
| |
| Q.
How about your raw materials? I've
always wondered why French cane is better. Is the cane's cultivation the
determining factor, or is the stock itself unique? Does the optimal climate
exist only in that part of the world, or is there something in the soil found
nowhere else? |
| A.
Of course, the quality of cane used for
making reeds is a major factor to be considered, because different cane makes
reeds that respond and endure in markedly different ways. |
| As I mentioned, one
reason I wanted to make Superial in the first place was because of the obvious
decline in cane quality that I noticed around the mid 80's. Reeds I were
playing at that time seemed to be missing something compared to the ones I had
been using before. There was a noticeable fiber breakdown after a short time of
playing, a higher percentage of pulp and the fibers seemed to be less developed
and true. It all added up to an overall feeling of deadness and
stuffiness. |
| One obvious thing I observed
was how spongy the reeds had become....just take a look at the butt end of some
reeds today and you'll see what I mean. There's just too much pulp in the
cane. |
| After checking the reed tables
for flatness, I noticed another thing: most of them weren't flat! So how
could the reed and mouthpiece table surfaces mate? Without that fundamental
requirement, I knew overall that no design feature could salvage a reed or make
it playable. |
| I had a discussion with Joe
Henderson about this and he said the reeds were getting so bad, he was thinking
of giving up playing for a while. Well, we're all glad that didn't
happen! Whether this was part in jest or not, he made a
point. |
| Part of the problem was
nature. A freeze in France in the mid 80's killed lot of premium cane. Land
prices shot up because of development, so less land being used for this great
cane. The larger reed makers were expanding so rapidly that cane supplies,
especially in the Var region, were becoming depleted. So they looked abroad to
begin new, more cost-effective plantings. Now you find some reeds with the word
"France" stamped on the back when in reality they are only manufactured in
France from cane that is grown abroad. Much of the cane used by the big
manufacturers comes from other parts of Europe, South America,etc. In my
opinion, some of this other material is just not as good as Var
cane. |
| From the very beginning, I was
convinced that the cane for my reeds had to be the best available. I and was
lucky enough to locate my cane in the Var. Part of this is a traditional
thing. From the late 1800's French, and notably Var cane, has enjoyed the
reputation of being the finest grade cane in the world. |
| When I look through my
collection of vintage DownBeat magazines, it's astounding to see just how many
reed makers there were in the 30's and 40's-most of them extolling the virtues
of French cane. |
| Now we get to the mysterious
part....are there climate or soil differences that are unique to the Var
region? From what I could find out, the answer to this would be
yes. |
| The same variables are
considered in cultivation of wine grapes. Some of these grape seeds or
plantings are taken from the best areas of France and replanted in other
countries. Yet, |
| France still seems to retain
its title of being the best place for production of many types of the finest
wines, whose essence is captured from these excellent grapes. |
| In a similar way, France--and
particularly the Var region--seem to be ideal for growing the wild cane,
"Arundo Donax" . The area from which our cane comes is close to the
Mediterranean, generally warmer than some other growing places in France, and
the amount of rainfall on the average seems to be just about right. |
| This warmer temperature gives
our cane the advantage of being a little safer in the case of a freeze,
although there are no guarantees. I always say a few prayers around February
and March. |
| The soil where our cane grows
is inundated with marble. You can see the remains of a once-active marble
industry--abandoned quarries dot the nearby hills. |
| The way it was explained to me
in France was that this marble in a broken down form manages to get into
the cane, itself. Maybe this is one reason the reeds seem to endure so
long. |
| Another thing that struck me
is the color, smell, and taste of the reeds. I remember this from the good
reeds I had used years ago. Superial's cane seemed to "feel" right and
after hundreds of hours of play testing under all kinds of conditions, I think
it's safe to say that the endurance and performance of the reeds owe a lot to
this superb cane. |
| It is also worth mentioning
that the crops do change slightly year to year...it's just impossible to
maintain the exact same qualitites of cane, as we are all at the mercy of
Mother Nature for a particular year, just as wine grape growers are. Some
players might favor one year's cane to them next, but we know that for over100
years this cane has been coming from the same region and providing musicians
with excellent material to work with. I also know that it's impossible to
make every player happy...some might love the reeds one day and not the
next. This is why I think some fine tuning should also be considered with
the traditional tools...sandpaper, trimmer, and knife....a LOT can be done to
make reeds work better and with not much effort. But we know we have a
good base to work from and that's so important.. |
| Of course the cut of the reed
is also critical when the reed's endurance and tonal characteristics are
considered. The trick is to match the best cane with the best cut you can
design. We also consider the possibility of making very slight variations
in cut year to year , if some of our top players require some
adjustments |
| As far as the climate, I'll
tell you one thing...it's gorgeous. A great place to have a delicious
meal, a glass of fine wine, and to catch some sun....and to contemplate that
beautiful wild cane! |
| |
| Q.
I'm really impressed with how your
reeds are packaged. Maybe it's because I've done a lot of package design over
the years. Your tins seem like they are integral, a part of the whole "reed
thing" you're trying to express. It doesn't "feel" like you're just stuffing
them into a box, but into this beautiful receptacle designed especially for
them. It also makes your product feel like it's got a long and noble history
that should be tapped into. Did you set out when your package was being
designed with some of these things in mind? |
| A.
Yes, definitely! I put a lot of
thought into the packaging and it took about a year to make from conception to
production. For the little "Alexander Superial" logo (printed on the back of
the reeds and the front label of the tin) alone, my excellent long time
emplyoee, Mr.Shimamoto hand scripted it over 100 times before we felt it was
just right.... |
| The packaging concept is like
this: I remember New York music stores! In the late 50's and early 60's,
I sometimes went to stores with my father like Manny's, the famous shop in New
York which was kind of a hub to a line of wind shops near 46th-48th St.
The minute you were through the door, there was a large array of horns, reeds,
mouthpieces, etc. It was just stunning! And I remember how cool
everything looked...the way it was presented. In those days, it was the
TOTAL thing. The packaging was a reflection of the quality and pride of
workmanship that went into the products themselves and from the 30's to the
early 60's or so, there were more than a dozen reed makers whose names we no
longer see, but many of them did make really fine products. |
| I wanted Superial to follow
along these lines and to convey a certain message of that tradition.
Because these reeds are made by Var craftspeople with decades of experience and
have design and material similalities to some of those wonderful old brands,
why not make the packing also a part of it? In the "Golden Age" from the
20's to the 60's, there were products of all kinds packaged to appeal to
peoples' desire for high quality and workmanship. |
| And incidentally, just listen
to all the incredible music that was made by woodwind players of that
era!! Talk about TONE!! |
| With musical instruments and
accessories as well, some of the presentation those days took on an almost
artistic style. Take a look at an old Selmer, Conn, or Otto Link
catalogue and this immediately will hit you. As much as I don't like to
say it, I think some of the packaging we see today does indeed reflect a kind
of "over mass production" . |
| I mean we are talking about
MUSIC here, not plumbing parts! Aesthetics count! |
| So, I just thought to make the
name, box, and labeling of Superial to somehow convey the actual quality of
material and workmanship that goes into to these elegant little sound
generators, these reeds. Why not make them look beautiful as well? |
| |
| Q.
I got turned on to "vintage saxophones"
(once known as "old saxophones") by Paul Lindemeyer. I bought a wonderful 1928
Conn alto from him. The scrollwork is incredible on this and all horns of that
vintage. You look at the "nude" Selmers from the seventies without scrollwork
and you just know that something's missing. I have a friend with a tenor
which has not a bit of scrollwork. I wonder if it's any coincidence that
the horn is "cold" sounding. More importantly, I think scrollwork reflects
craftsmanship in instrument manufacture, a kind of connectedness with all those
German watchmakers Col. Conn brought over to Elkhart, right up to the
incredible scrollwork I saw on a new Yanagisawa bari the other day . . . and I
AM in the market for a bari! Do you think I'll be buying a Seventies
Selmer without a single floral filigree? No chance! I want to know that my new
bari was built by craftsmen (and craftswomen, too)! |
| A.
When I think back of what it was like
in the States when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's, I know it's an era we'll
never see again. I just found a 1956 Conn catalogue that shows just how
dedicated they used to be.... Man, they were serious! And the fact that
there is so much interest in vintage saxes today reveals an appreciation for
the fine type of manufacturing that flourished in that age. The whole
trend toward mass production, "the bottom line" that seemed to start in the
70's--plywood, slap-bang type of production--is really a shame. American
manufacturing used to be the envy of the world and those great vintage
instruments prove the point. Hopefully we can begin to turn that around,
and I know there are some other people in the woodwind world who are trying to
work in this direction. |
| Look at many reeds
today. They just don't seem to be as good as they once were, at least as
far as I can see. Its' not entirely the manufacturers' fault,
though. Production volumes are so much higher today and Var cane is
becoming scarcer and more expensive. But I meant what I said about coming
up with Superial out of utter frustration with the other big named reeds I was
buying and trying to play. |
| What's the point of getting a
great horn and mouthpiece and spending years of long tone practice just to have
it all go down the drain when you are blowing your brains out on a gig just
trying to make the thing play. The reed IS the source of the sound.... It's as
simple as that. |
| |
| Q.
How are your goals and dreams shaping
up for the next five and ten years? Do you see yourself being in serious direct
competition with the Ricos and VanDorens of the world, or would you rather
remain a niche product for those demanding a certain level of quality? Or, do
you see no difference between these positions--quality being the only true
measure of competition, player loyalty being more important than the lowest
common denominator approach? |
| A.
Wow, the next five or ten years?
Now that's an interesting question...... |
| On a personal level I don't
have much from my crystal ball yet, but at some point I'd like to get back more
into music like I was before. I mean for over the past 20 years I put in around
2,000 gigs of just about every type you can imagine . . . Big Band, jazz of all
types, funk, semi classical, Latin, and original music with the band we put
together in Japan, META. |
| I found myself very attracted
to classical music and composition and this band was a great vehicle to
experiment with jazz and classical forms. I was also most fortunate to
study composition and theory with an excellent composer on the scene over here,
Bruce Stark. He opened my eyes to the importance of structure and really
helped me grow as a writer. So it would be great to continue my studies
with him and my own composition some day when I'm hoping to have more free time
than I do now. |
| Unfortunately, because of
chronic neck and back problems, I pretty much have had to hang saxophone
playing for the time being. But I was gratified to see that Cadence
Magazine just reviewed META's second CD "Metamorphosis" in their July '98
issue. |
| Anyhow, the sound of the
saxophone is always there inside my head and all those gigs I did in clubs,
concerts, schools, and wherever stay with me. Without that experience, I never
would have learned what I needed to know in order to come up with the
reeds. |
| And back to the reeds: I don't
know how much I can compete against Vandoren and Rico with their huge
advertising campaign budgets. But what's apparent to me so far at least,
is that there is a steadily growing array of players who seem to swear by
Superial. What more could I possibly ask for? |
| This brings to mind a
saxophonist who is one of the leading players on the jazz stage today: Joe
Lovano. Here's a musician that I've known about and loved for years who
told me that they are the best reeds he's tried in ages. And what makes
Joe so special in a way, is the musical ground he covers. I mean with
Joe, you hear how the saxophone has developed from the past and where it's
heading to in the future and believe me, he makes a reed WORK! |
| Another interesting thing to
me is that he also sometimes plays not only "DC", but Superial and "Classique"
as well. In other words, he's finding they work to cover different tonal
gound, and therefore his palette has been expanded, and that's exactly why I
came out with these different models. But it's also important to remember
that players who try our reeds for the first time, should match the right model
with one that will work best for the set up and reed harness they've been
using. For example, if someone has been playng Lavoz for years, "DC" will
feel too hard, and visa versa, if they have been using Vandoren Classic, they
shouldn't be trying Superial or the tips will feel too soft. More on this
can be found on the bottom of the following page:
http://www.superial.com/notes.html |
| I can tell you that it isn't
easy to introduce a new reed to a market that already has around thirty models
or so, but when a player of Joe Lovano's stature decides to switch over to our
reeds, I know they must be delivering something... |
| I've also heard from scores of
other players about how the reeds seemed to bring out what they were looking
for (some of their comments can be seen here:
http://www.superial.com/commentse.html |
| Of course I believe the reeds
must be promoted through advertising to let players know they exist and what
they are all about. As many musicians know, you can record a CD of
absolutely fantastic music, but without the right promotion, chances are
it will just end up collecting dust in a record store bin. It's also
ironically true, I think, that a CD of only fair to so-so musical integrity can
"get over" because of high-powered advertising and exposure. . |
| I'm just trying to let people
know what other saxophonists have told me about our reeds and that speaks for
itself. If I'd been satisfied with the quality and performance of reeds from
the big makers, I never would have even thought of making Superial, so in a
sense I guess I should be thanking them, as well! |
| Yes, player loyalty should be
based on quality . Getting players to try something new is always a
challenge. Be that as it may, I do feel that the number of Superial users will
grow, as long as players give the reeds a fair trial to really learn what they
are all about. I recommend at least a month of testing on the cut and
stength number that is most suitable for them. |
| |
| Q.
The most excitement I've seen in 30
years of observing in the saxophone world has been from guys a lot like you:
Paul Lindemeyer and his book (and his tireless love of C.G. Conn, Limited), Ron
Coelho and his CNC machined mouthpieces, J Clark in Berkeley, Bear at
Cybersax.com, Peter Fluck (aka saxmanpete@webtv.net), and the rest of the
vintage dealers. The one thing the have in common is they understand how the
web can be used to get their message to the rest of us saxophonists in a way
that was never possible before. So, here you are, an American in Japan,
running a business whose product is produced in France, being sold very much on
the world stage, but I assume mostly in the United States. Is it safe to say
the Internet may have made a great deal of this possible? |
| A.
The Internet is a very powerful tool of
communication which has yet only reached a small percentage of its potential
audience. Yes, Richard, I'd agree with you that for the group of us who are
trying to spread the message of what we are creating, it is an excellent medium
to do so. |
| I compare using the Net to
taking a ride in a space ship whose only limitations are ones imposed by its
pilot --we, the users! And for someone like me who lives
abroad, it is priceless gift: clear, direct communication
instantaneously. |
| Specifically for the group of
musicians, artisans, vintage dealers, writers, etc. you mentioned (most of them
who are friends, by the way, and let's not forget Dr. Paul Tenney, Theo Wanne,
Joe Sax et al, in this group), will all benefit from the way the Net reaches
out, because the Web is the Great Equalizer. |
| On the Web, we are all more or
less on an equal par, I'd say. For example, the big reeds makers can support
very pricey and frequent magazine ad placement. We can't yet, but a homepage is
the same size and runs for 24 hours a day for all of us. A new kind of
level playing field has been established and with small companies loosing
ground to giant corporations and "corporate mentality", it's refreshing to know
that we all have some kind of chance these days. |
| To be able to read comments
about our reeds from players as far away as Norway, Korea, or Australia
on the same day they tested them is astounding! And there is nothing
better than turning on my computer in the morning and getting emails from
musicians who seem thoroughly jazzed about how the reeds are working for
them. |
| That's when I know that all
the effort, time and expense I've invested in this product has been worth
it. |
| Mission
accomplished! |
| For more information about
Superial reeds, please visit Tom Alexander's web site at
http://www.superial.com/ |
