City of Angels

Here we are at LAX....that's Los Angeles airport for you people that aren't jetsetters.....passing a few hours waiting for our 14 hour flight to Brissie....Brisbane for you people not familiar with the Aussie vernacular. Obviously I've got plenty of time to write this blog ......for you people not familiar with sitting around on ya butt for hours waiting for something to happen. Anyway I've got some interesting news for you people that are sax players which I'm pretty sure is no one that reads this blog. So it's like this. To start the sound that eventually comes out of the end of a sax you blow through this thing called a mouthpiece,which is aptly named as it's the thing that you stick in your mouth. I'm here to tell you that it is the most important piece of equipment....a good sax is a good sax but it don't mean diddly if you've got a crap mouthpiece.

This here's Bobby Dukoff. Famous sax player with the old big bands of the likes of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and most of the big swing bands of that era. But he's famous for more than that. He started fiddling with mouthpieces and ended making the perfect 'pieces' that have been played by most of the greatest sax players of the last 50-60  years or so.

Unfortunately Bobby turned his toes up a couple of years ago ( he was well over 90 ) but before he did he turned the business over to his protégé Nick Hernandez . I phoned Nick a year or so ago ,when we were passing through Miami, but he was in the process of moving to Fort Lauderdale and we didn't connect. I rang him again this time as I really wanted to see the outfit and I also really needed a new m'piece as my 30 or so year old one was showing as much wear as it's owner. So..... the day I was supposed to go out there Nick was busy and we were doing this and that and it got late and when Bill.........

This Bill.....remember.

came round to pick us up and I said ...don't worry Bill ....it's getting late and I can get a bus tomorrow or something....and Bill said " get your damn horn and get in the car ".....and we did.

So anyway, we got out there and there was Sebastian

And Fabian

The masked men of Dukoff.

Well they gave me a few mouthpieces to try and they were .....amazing. If I'd had them 20 years ago I'd have been famous by now ...well at least well known.

Anyway in comes Nick

He listens and personally tweaks the chosen m'piece 'til it's fantastic.

Playing's never been so easy.

There I am getting the same attention as he was giving Dave Sanborn last week and Kenny G and whoever.

Every one of these things is hand done by these guys.

So here's the news... After hanging out with these guys the next day as well .. Nick's said " Bring your tools back from Aus. man and we'll do some work together...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's Fabian on the left some ol' sax player... Nick and Sebastian.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Oz but.......

can't wait to get back to Fort Lauderdale.