This is a little treat, honouring today's procedures in the spirit of democracy - bridging the ocean with a solid 100 years of instrument making genius:
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In the front we have our American entry, the curved King soprano from 1919/1920; a wonderful player with frugal, but very efficient keywork. My favourite soprano!
In the back, an even more special instrument: This alto was made by Adolphe Eduoard Sax, the son of the saxophone's inventor, Adolphe, in Paris. It's a 1920 Briard Lyrist (the Sax name had already been sold at this time). It's not in the best of states, having suffered a heavy neck pulldown at some point in the past and obviously been used as sort of a beater by someone who had no idea what he (probably not she) was holding, but it plays amazingly well for such an old and battered instrument; if only I could get the neck serviced ... but that's really hard to do. That said, I probably shouldn't take it out for gigging ... but we shall see (I'll certainly try at least once).
N.B. I use "modern" mouthpieces (nothing older than 50 years) on these instruments to be able to control their various moods ...
M.