What Happened to New York's Famed Music District?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 พ.ย. 2019
- #bettersax #saxophone #saxrepair
Jay Metcalf shares a conversation with Roberto of Roberto's Winds where they discuss saxophone repair and the heyday of Music Row in New York City.
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95% Roberto talking and 5% Jay Metcalf, just what a brilliant interview should sound like. Great video Jay. I’ll be in NYC in May next year and I’ll make sure I pass by this survivor sax mechanic.
thanks Thierry.
you probably dont give a shit but if you guys are stoned like me during the covid times you can watch all of the new movies on Instaflixxer. Have been streaming with my gf these days =)
@Merrick Nash yea, I've been watching on instaflixxer for since november myself :D
My Mark VI fell out of the case and was seriously bent after the Titanic anniversary tour in 2011. But miraculously we docked in New York the next day within walking distance of Roberto's, who I had never heard of, not being American. He dropped everything and fixed it in three hours for only $300.00 then the ship sailed for France. That's how I found Roberto and his amazing shop.
Nice story
Wow, great memories. I was in a jazz program in NYC in the early 90s. A friend of mine introduced me to Roberto. One day I went into the shop to say hi and Roberto said, "Hey, have you met Ornette?" That's the day I met Ornette Coleman. Awesome period of my life.
Wow! Ornettte!!
so jealous
Roberto is the best! His work is amazing, knowledge is deep. I just bought a tenor MK VII from Roberto and he and his son were nothing but great. Helpful, not pushy, made tweaks I wanted on the spot, and a great horn, despite what many say about the VIIs, Roberto knew this one was a great horn! Even offered to tweak after the sale as I got used to horn, which I will take them up on. You don't get service like at Roberto's many places, especially in NYC. Many shops are not as open and inviting, many repair places are very limited to overhauls only, or just not easy to get on with. Every time I walk into Roberto's they immediately make you feel welcome, no matter who you are.
definitely a welcoming vibe and atmosphere there.
I met Roberto 6 years ago. He gave me one of the best reeds I have had.
just found this thread_ -great interview. I knew 48th street from the 60's. I was a keeh high school music student when I visited Manny's. There was an amazing huge conntrabass sax im the shop window, with an Eb sopranino sideways across the bell of the bass! I bought my first new pro horn there, a Buffet R13 at age 16- still playing it 57 years later!
If any of you sax players are touring or living in the Netherlands, a great repairman [and player] has opened a shop called 'Blaaswerk', in Meppel, the Netherlands. Nice collection of old horns, over-halls, and lots of classic mouthpieces! Highly recommended..
TB winds in Denton Texas -- great shop just to go out an hang out and chat. Would love to get to Robertos some day.
Great interview ... I felt like I got to know the famed Roberto a little bit. He seems like the real deal ... very genuine, knowledgeable, and a real gentleman.
Thanks. he is all that.
I love the pasta strainer on his workbench. One could only guess what it is used for? You can take an Italian out of Italy, but you'll never take Italy out of an Italian!
I had my father's, unbeknownst to me, late 1920s/early 30s-ish (?) Conn Transitional Tenor Sax, which hadn't been played in close to 60 years if not more, repaired/refurbished by Roberto's earlier this year. It was in really bad shape to type the least. To say that I was thrilled with how it turned-out would be a colossal understatement.
They're all; Roberto, Nicolo, Andres and Manuel, so nice/such great people! They kept me appraised of the repairs and sent me pictures throughout the process, for which I am forever grateful.
I don't play sax (I play guitar), so I can't really enjoy it the way a saxophonists would, but I can tell you that Andres certainly made it sing in a video he to sent me when it was done!
I can't thank them enough!
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this story, full of patina, atmosphere, and enjoyment! Thanks for your commitment, Jay!
Roberto is the best! I've always taken my horns to him and bought all of my gear. Whatever he told me to do or buy I listened. Now that I'm back to playing again I will be visiting his shop! Miss him. Great guy!!
Jay, we have just been to Roberto's and stood in the Mark VI room, Roberto's son was most informative and helpful . As someone from Northern Ireland, it was great to be able to see first hand what your video was about, Thank you.
Every time I find myself passing through 48th St between 6th and 7th Avenues, the experience is just... harrowing. All those building simply destroyed, with just a thin layer of bricks left on the ground. That said, I think most of the stores are still around or have changed names, all except Sam Ash in somewhere in the same neighborhood. But when everybody was on the same BLOCK (except Roberto’s two blocks away), that was priceless. R.I.P. music row.
Goldie & Libro in New Haven CT circa ~1995 on Chapel street. My dad had a struggling clothing business a few stores down on the same block. We weren't well off by any means back then, but still, when I was nine he scraped to buy me a Yamaha YAS-21 from a pawn shop and brought it to them for a repair. Sal Libero was the owner, and while I didn't appreciate it as a 4th grader, the guy had played with Glenn Miller's and Les Brown's band. His store was huge, old, the carpet smelled dank and the wood floors creaked when you stepped on them. There were all sorts of instruments but saxophones seemed to have been given a special treatment on the wall behind the counter.
My dad paid for me to take lessons each week for a middle school summer with him. It didn't occur to me we'd be spending the whole time on embouchure. He taught me to vary pressure and wiggle it to get a sort of vibrato out of the tone. His saxophone was an old Selmer, mud brown and worn in (I don't remember what model it was). He seemed to really value it, and I get the sense it had been with him a long time.
In high school, my Yamaha's pads were coming loose, pearls had fallen out, my thumb-rest was just a coverless cavity, and the thing needed an overhaul. Again my dad took it to Sal and they did the work. Sal passed away in 2011, followed by my dad three years later. The store moved to another location elsewhere in CT but the memory of that shop and the smell is burned into my memory.
I haven't had the Yamaha overhauled or repaired since Sal. Before I graduated high school, my dad sprung again and gifted me a Yanagisawa 991, which I treasure as much as the Yamaha. Life went on and I had fallen off playing for a while, working, raising a family. My daughter is 6 years old now, and out of nowhere I thought I'd show her the Yamaha and tell her the story of how "When daddy was little, we didn't have a lot, but your grandpa found a way and got me this saxophone. If you can show me you can put the work in to learn how to play it, I'll teach you, and it can be yours." The Yamaha isn't an expensive sax, you can get a near mint one for $500 on ebay. But, this one is something special, and Goldie & Libro are a big part of why.
Great interview, awesome to hear about how he learned his trade, and the legends that used to visit Roberto. Hope to visit NYC next year, will defo stop by the shop.
Kev the repair guy in Crowthers, Canterbury ,Kent, England, keeps my mk VI in great shape.
Many Thanks Jay.
Thanks Jay that brings back so many memories for me from the 80’s and 90’s
I went there from Australia . I cringingly remember tracking down Michael Brecker at South Side Seven to ask him what mpc he uses. He was very nice to me and said “ Dukoff D8 but it’s more than the mouthpiece “. .........
The outstanding memory from those shops Sam Ash, Robertos, Art Shell, Manny’s and others I have forgotten, was how helpful and caring they all were. It was a real community. Thanks again
Hi, Jay. it's a very interesting video indeed. I was so happy as long as I was listening to it. Roberto the way he was expressing his experiences & telling about the changing times is a true nostalgia. Jay, you are creating such interesting videos. I have subscribed to your channel long before. Seeing all your videos. They are all so informative as well as Inspiring. I am learning so much. Keep up your untiring work Jay. We LOVE you.
This is a great interview! I was just there last month with my daughter! They were awesome! They let my daughter try a few saxophones. We had a great chat with Roberto and he was so kind to my daughter!!
Me and my school skipping buddy went to that area circa 2006 quite a few times and the day we finally entered the repair shops it was like being in a candy store for a 4yr old because you're allowed to try so many well repaired vintage horns. NYC has lost so much of itself in so little time 💔
I used to hit up these stores when I first moved to NYC. Sam Ash, Manny's, Int'l Woodwind & Brass, etc. I played a contrabass sax that sat in the corner window of the last, which was on the 2nd floor overlooking Times Square. I had played bass sax in college so this beast wasn't a big stretch. It was fun!
Years later I brought my tenor there and tried out every mouthpiece in the shop. I paid wayyy too much for the one I settled on. However I still play that piece so I'd do it all over again if given the choice.
Thanks for the interview Jay!
Jay, the style of your presentations and the musicians in your universe who you share with us are the substance of your popularity! Thanks!
Thanks Marv.
Fascinating - and I'm not even a horn player! I shudder to think of all the hours and stress to build up his business. Guys like him are to be treasured. I wish Roberto well and hope that his success continues.
Love the tuxedo cat at 3:24! Great interview, thanks!
I went to Roberto's around 4 or 5 years ago looking to buy my first baritone. I didn't end up buying with him but the experience at his store was definitely the best out of all the ones I visited.
Great video! Thanks for taking me back in time briefly! I remember those days back in the 80's. My brother and I used to take the bus to Port Authority and then hike to 48th (&46th) street to check out the shops, try out some horns and then would go visit our dad at his work on 48th. All the shop owners were very encouraging, opened our eyes to the world of music from the perspective of horns. Shout out to Jim Camardello in Dolgeville, NY and Tim Glessman at Sax Alley in Windsor , CO.
thanks William
That was a really nice video. Thanks Jay. Enjoyed that.
I own 2 Selmer Mark VI saxes. I inherited them from my older brother who spent years searching music row for the perfect sounding Mark VI, a sound like Getz had. I have been in and out of those stores many times with him and got to know some of those folks, and also saw professional jazz musicians there too. It was a very interesting time and place.
Wow! Thanks for this video! I remember how much I enjoyed hanging out at Rod Baltimore sax store on music row. It felt personal when doing business and it was so cool running into professional musicians, students, and even tourists!
That's where I used to repair horns 15 years ago.
I bought a flute and took music lessons from Sam Ash's place; 2nd floor in the building right next to Sam Ash's main entrance; Fred Glantz, who worked for Sam Ash, was my teacher, 50 years ago. Sam Ash was short, portly, and bald with gray hair. I grew up in mid-town Manhattan, lived and worked there the first 57 years of my life. I loved 48th street, browsing all the music stores. My uncle owned a town home on 48th off 8th, and I lived on 39th st and 9th, Hell's Kitchen. Those were the days when Manhattan was The Place.
i really enjoyed this video thanks that was super interesting a must go place!
Thanks Jay, great interview, relaxed and entertaining. Roberto's looks like saxophone heaven to me.
Thanks
Used to go into NYC at Thanksgiving time by bus with my dad. We'd go to every music store to see the latest and greatest of everything. As a trumpet player it was hard to find a store with any stock beyond the band rentals. NYC used to have stores of every instrument imaginable. Mouthpieces, mutes of every make & brands, gig bags of all makes...everything. I'd always go back to my high school and hear "Wow, where did you get that gig bag". My dad played guitar and sometimes we'd just listen to people trying out instruments. I remember hearing slap bass in the early 80s at Manny's and I thought "Thats probably going to be popular!"
I recently brought my daughter on a long weekend and there was...nothing. Just the same stupid clothes stores that are in any mall. Oh, and an M&M store. Not sure how serious wind players try out horns these days.
I'm a Brass performer as well. I've got fond memories of occasionally visiting that "Music Row" neighborhood in NYC. Sad to be learning of the changes (via this video & the discussion comments).
This shop is awsome! I was there in 2011 when in NYC and dream with the day I can visit again.
Merci pour ce petit voyage .😌
Loved loved LOVED this one Jay! Well done buddy
Thank you
This was beautiful, thank you! I miss hearing thess old stories from my dad and his friends. I don't play sax, my best friend does and we watch your channel together, but I've always gone to Stein on Vine for my luthier work. They work on a multitude of instruments and I know if they cant do the job, they will know a reputable person that will.
Thanks for watching. I've been to Stein on Vine, cool shop.
Jay, this is one of your finest. Awesome man!
Thank you Mark
Many memories, brought my first trumpet at Mannys. Can't forget about Giardinelli around the corner and upstairs on W.46St. Brass heaven. As a teenager I got to bounce a lot questions off the Pros . Thanks for the post
Wow great interview I really enjoyed it thankyou.
thank you Tina
Drove up to NYC from Baltimore in 1967 to buy a tenor. In the parking garage we parked right next to a van that had Jr. Walker and the All Stars painted on the side.... Manny's sold saxes for 40% off. Couldn't decide between a King Silversonic or Mark VI which both played great and cost $600. Bought the Silversonic, which was a beautiful looking horn. If I knew how expensive MarkVI's would get I would have got my parents to lend me money to buy a bunch of them. Went to Roberto's a couple years ago and he sold a 1965 Mark VI for me. Being back in NYC after many many years was a trip. Thank you Roberto for selling my horn.
Great video Jay. Again.
thank you Mark
I Bought my MK VI alto used at Pontes Music in 1974.I needed a good alto for college, it was the only one they had at the time, I am still playing it its awesome. Also, while I was there I purchased a Hard Rubber Berg tenor mpc with a cracked shank for 4 bucks took it home fixed the crack with epoxy glue and played it for10 years. Miss those stores I was thinking of taking my tenor to Roberto's back in February before this pandemic happened maybe when all is well I will. Great interview Jay.
Awesome vid! Shoutout to Music Scene; the repair tech is amazing and has really mastered his craft over 45 years!
thanks Chase
Great video. thanks! My guy used to be Alexander Kolpecki at Wind Instrument Center around the corner from the 48th St shops. Bought my first 'real' tenor there, a '36 Balanced Action. He closed that shop a few years back and moved it into his New Jersey home, and he no longer seems to be reachable. My main repairman now is Peter Bannon who operates out of his home in Nyack NY.. Great guy.
I think Saul Fromkin was incredible. He repaired quite a few of my horns after he retired to Sarasota, FL. There were so many pictures of greats in his workshop I knew was working with one of the greats. Sadly, he passed away several years ago, but I still have a repair tag on one of my sopranos that I will never remove just to always remind me of Saul.
Thank you for sharing. My favorite saxophone shop here in Houston Texas Fleming’s 🎶🎶🎷 USA 🇺🇸
I haven't experienced much in terms of repair shops, but my favorite so far has to be Carl's Pro Band shop in Bloomington, IL. They are great repair men and their instruments aren't that bad either. I bought my pro saxophone over at that shop and I love the horn.
Great video! Super interesting. Roberto fixed my horn back in the mid 90's. Hey Jay, how about a video about YOUR story living in New York??!!!
Great video Jay, here in the UK I have had my Selmer SA80 rebuilt by Steve Crow and my vintage Selmer Modele 22 rebuilt by Alistair Hansons company, both top repair guys. Thanks again for the video
thanks Bob
Wow! That was very cool Jay.
thanks
Great video, many thanks!
CONGRATS in the BIRTHDAY of J. Adolf Sax (06/11/1814) in Belgium, for you Jay, and for Roberto's... and for all the saxplayers of the world!!
Thanks for your work. Bless from Argentina!
thanks Cristian
Great video, thanks!
thanks
Wooow! Amazing memories from college times :) Is just a pure flashback
I went the first time to Roberto in the 90's. He looked like Antonio Banderas and there were beautiful vintages saxes hanging on the walls. Signed pictures of all m'y sax idols..i was so impressed.
I went back in the 2013. I was a little bit disapointed. I wanted a specific Otto link mpc and i had a clerk who did not understand anything to mpc..other times..
My favorite repair shop is Marshall Music in Allen Park Michigan. Big shout out to Sax repair man Dale.
This guy worked on all the cats horns back in the day including Stan Getz. This guy does amazing work!
Loved this video !!! My favourite repair man, for my old Chu Berrys is Daniele Bergese, Monforte d'Alba, Italy...wow..
Thanks for sharing. I went to Robertos and tried several Mark Vis! Incredible shop.
48th street is where I got my first mouthpiece, at Rod Baltimore, it was an incredible experience, very intimidating for a novice horn player. Today I go with my son to get his Martin Comm III repaired at Lee's Saxworx in San Francisco. It's an amazing shop that reminds of the old repair shops that are now long gone in New York. Lee's work is fantastic and he takes my son's horn as a priority knowing that he has a gig around the corner.
Bob Berg told me to see Roberto in early 80s because Saul had to take time off and I needed to take my horn to Europe and I was anxious. Roberto was such a gentleman to me I continued to see him during my time living in NYC. Saul was like my sax Psychiatrist and some of you will understand what I mean.
Mannnn!!! You totally should do a review or at least a play text on one of those saxophones that he makes!!! I think that would be super cool 😁 thanks for the outstanding videos you constantly put out!!!
My favorite repair shop is TBwinds in Denton Texas. The owners Tony and Jen are fantastic!
Awesome topic!
thanks
Just bought some of Roberto's reeds recently, and they're really great! I started playing the 2.5 Mediums on my Durga 5 tenor 8 piece instead of V16 2.5's
Oh does this bring back memories! Most of the woodwind mouthpieces I have used over the years were tried out and purchased on Music Row, had work done on horns there, just hung out, the usual. What a place! Whenever I've visited NYC since I moved from there, every time I came back there - fewer and fewer of these great musical icons have remained each year until now, when they are basically gone. Some might say New York (and the Times Square area) is better now, but I kinda miss the old energy and grit. Too much Disneyland for me anymore
. A shout out to Gary Underwood in Florida, who I know from our days together in the Army Band, Pete Landy in Brooklyn (who still does the work on my bassoon -all the from Chicago) and especially, to Paul Maslin in Evanston, IL who recently did an unbelievable overhaul on my Mk6 bari.
PM woodwinds is an incredible shop. I was there last year and was testing some pieces and horns, they had a 62k serial MK6 tenor that was absolutely unbelievable.
Came to NYC in 2007 to buy a soprano. After trying out over 60 horns in the various shops over the week I purchased a 1987 Yanigasawa Elimona from Jon Baltimore. Every time I have visited since, I would take time to visit and he always remembered me from all those years ago. We would catch up, sometimes with some wine that was open 'after hours' and talk shop/music/life. It hurts that most of that connection is lost from a once-great scene.
A really interesting video. Enjoyed it. Shout out to Giant Steps in Chattanooga, TN. They did a great job reworking my 1938 Selmer Paris Balanced Action. Thanks for the great videos you always put out Jay!
Thanks!
I think the same is happening in the U.K, after getting ripped off a couple of times 30 years ago I started getting interested in maintenance and repairing sax, flute and Clarinet. 30 years later I continue to teach and repair. Many of the full time repairers have gone now. I notice now that customers are travelling longer distances to me as their local repairers retire or go out of business.
Never been to NY, but I'll have to make a point to check that place out if I get there. And if I make it there, I'll make it anywhere.
Thanks for the video. I visited all of them in NYC when I was a kid in the 1970's. In fact I sold my tenor for $50 in the 1980's to one of the stores. Been away from NYC so not sure what's there now.
Great interview. Randy Jones (Tenor Madness in Iowa) does great work and puts out his own line of incredible tenor and bari saxes.
thanks
Great interview, Jay! Back in the day and living in NE Jersey, Art Shell , Charles Ponte , Mannys were my places to go especially for mpcs and reeds! I still play my metal Lawton 7* BB bari mpc I bought at Manny's Music for $50 back in 1971! You could start to see the scene was changing around that time when Mannys started this "No trying out mouthpieces on Saturdays!" thing. Just to accommodate their preference of selling guitars and keyboards!!
Thanks
Great video. I use to kill time going to those shops after school. Perry Ritter is still up the block on 47th but that's a very small setup. Jimmy Yan on 54 street did repairs on my clarinets. Sad when he passed in the mid-2000's. I would often see Broadway players, and guys from the orchestra/Ballet as well. Was more of a classical scene. I wanted to learn repair but nobody was looking for an intern when I finished hs. Nobody took over his shop. It just closed suddenly... =(
I bought an old Albert system Eb sopranino clarinet as a knick-knack from Roberto's as well as a Buffet alto clarinet. I bought a Ria metal baritone sax mouthpiece from Rod Baltimore's store. I enjoyed going into the stores and looking at all the horns. Good times.
not many stores exist where you can still find that sort of thing.
A great interview Jay. Thanks for taking us back in time to hear some stories about the "Good Old Days.
thanks
Damn. I've walked by this place but never knew it existed. Making a trip to NYC in December so it's on my itinerary now. Thanks Jay for highlighting this business!
definitely worth a visit
Great video! Love my local repair shop Solar Music in Sydney, Australia! 🎉🎉
thanks
I remember buying my SBA Alto (1948) in that “music row“ in 2004. I don’t remember, actually, at which store, as I‘ve been to all of them during my studies at The New School. But I still love it and it’s my all time favorite.
Back then, James Carter used to hang out at those places. I remember to literally bump into him everytime I was buying reeds or something… He used to say: “You are going to become good“ or things like that to anybody entering the room, wearing funny clothes like one day an emerald green silk training suit… 😂
At Roberto‘s I got my ligature. It was a Francois Louis thing, the way to go at that time in New York. I remember talking to him about the lacquer and that it indeed was a difference (that’s what he said). I ended up buying the golden one and was happy with that, until the lacquer wore off… 😉 Took me five years to switch to Vandoren Optimum, which I use until today. But Roberto is really a great guy. Good vibes!
I love this! I visited the 48th in early 2009. My only trip to NY and it was beautiful, all the stores were still working but near the end:/ its so sad to see what happened. I remember i bought an Ebow in Manny's and a delay pedal in Sam ash. Im a guitarist lol
thanks
I used to live in NY and play a few instruments. I used to go into Sam Ash (in both NYC Music row store and the store they used to have in Brooklyn) and both play and listen to people play guitars. Manny's was a great place and I was so impressed with the pictures on the wall of the Beatles in the store (they went there when they were in NYC for the Sullivan show). Plenty of others, now just a memory. When I got a job near 48th street, I used to spend a lot of time with a buddy from work where he would buy guitars and basses regularly during lunchtime and pick them up after work. I just loved walking down 48th street and just seeing what was going on. A good many times you would see a "famous" musician and had to act like it was nothing (and I would be jumping up and down inside from excitement). I can wax poetic on those times especially the ability to try things out, but having the ability to order things like reeds, strings, ... (at a good price) and have them delivered to my front door is pretty cool too.
Subscribed! I've learned so much watching your videos! You have a great way of sharing a ton of ideas and information while keeping it fun and simple! Personal "Shout out" to Nick Rail music in Santa Barbara, CA!
Thanks
I went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the 80s and on the first day I went to take a leak and read the following «poem» on the bathroomwall: «There once was a man named Berk, who didn't like to work. So he founded a college of musical knowledge, and now we're supporting the jerk» :-). Anyway, at that time everybody who became anybody was studying there: Jeff Watts, Smitty Smith, Dave Kikoski, Donald Harrison, Wallace Rooney, Ira Coleman, Makoto Ozone etc. Mike Stern played every Monday at Michaels, Scofield with Nussbaum and Steve Swallow on Tuesdays, Lovano at the 1369, those were the days. I had my horn done by the great Emilio Lyons. Now my favourite repairman is Max Frei in Munich. This guy really knows his stuff.
Wow! Next time I go back to NYC, I gotta stop by this place. Actually, my Tenor that I still play on, I bought from Rod Baltimore. My old tenor, was from Sam Ash. Yeah 48th street was a place to drool! However, I for what ever reason used to get my horn repaired by Dr. Rick, in The Village. The first time I went to him, for a dry rot issue on my pads, I took out my horn. He looked at it and exclaimed "how is your cat!" (sigh!). He is no longer at that location either :o(
That's the shop I used to work in Rod Baltimore's New York Woodwind and Brass.
@@bettersax Monde petite! Bought it there circa 1992, your video made me so sentimental, that I had to go play on it, the same horn YTS23 ( but saving up for a 62iii). You guys were always so great! Is it possible you worked on it? It was and is second hand. Small world indeed. Now I am in your fantastic online course, loving it!
Great stuff! And just as much a mini film on Manhattan culture/ history as it is on the sax
thanks
I went to high school in central New Jersey in the early 80s, and I used to take a bus into Port Authority and walk to Ponte Music to buy mouthpieces. I got some good pieces there, and I was fearless! I was 16, and thought nothing of spending an hour or two trying out mouthpieces.
Great video....
thanks
I bought a Conn Bari Sax from Robertos a few decades ago! It played like butter!
those old Conns are the best.
Sam Ash was my favorite store to go for instruments in the 70’s. Ah... the memories. 😎👀🙏🏽👍🏽
This video could have been longer, I enjoyed it so much.
guud show 👏🏼
great video
thanks
Great interview, I'm going to have to check out Roberto's next time I'm in New York. I live in Baltimore MD, and take my horns to Lee Hirschmann at The Band Shoppe.
48,47,46 St. Music stores ware my favotite places in TimeSquare area and the whole NY back in the late 80's and 90's..I really love to kill time there. Wish I could go back in time...So much memories, musical instruments, celebreties and wanted to be like dreams... That lovely enviorement should had been preserved.
Detroit Wayne Music Studio!🎷😎
Great video Jay! Very enjoyable and informative.
thanks
Enjoyed the video. Shout out to TB Winds in Denton, TX. Tony is awesome.
thank you
My favorite shop is PM woodwinds in Chicago. Anyone that hasn’t been there needs to make the trip there if possible. I went there last year in search of a new mouthpiece (not my first time there) and I had a list of pieces that I wanted to try. Some that I wanted to try because I wanted to purchase them, some just because I wanted to try them because of the historical importance of them. I picked out about 35-40 pieces, all the way from D’addario jazz selects to a Micheal Brecker custom that was selling for $2,000. There was vintage Bobby Dukoff Otto links and all sorts of vintage stuff that was worked on by big names in the mouthpiece world. So that alone was cool, but all of their rooms were taken and I needed a place to try them all out, so they let me test them out in their horn storage room, and when the guy let me in there he said “so this is our wall of Mark VI’s, go ahead and play on anything you want, there is all sorts of vintage horns and new stuff down here, you’re welcome to play on anything you want”. So I proceeded to play in that room for 7 hours on different combinations of mouthpieces and horns. It was such an incredible experience to play on all sorts of setups that all of us dream about. Eventually I settled on an Eric Falcon MacSax 8star piece that was one of 7 of the same model that I tried that day. After that day, going to other shops that are still great just isn’t the same and it feels like there something missing. I don’t know if it’s the lack of vintage mouthpiece selection or just the old time feel of being in a shop with a repair man working on saxes in the middle of the shop and the shared passion of music that you immediately have with everyone in the store.
Really fun video, unfortunately Roberto's had to move from W.46 st, but now he has a bigger shop on W.39st.. check it out. He worked on my tenor and recently I bought one of his horns as my first pro horn.. it's my go to store.
A great italian! Grazie Roberto, thanks Jay!
I've always wanted to see that music district in the big apple.