Well, the wife and I are starting to pack things for the long drive north to MD for the holidays, so I thought now is as good a time as ever to wish you all a great and safe holiday season. Hoping all SZ'ers have an enjoyable and musical Xmas!

Here is a recording of me playing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas". It was recorded in 1999 - just a year after spending the previous Xmas at Johns Hopkins dealing with Prostate Cancer. So, if this performance sounds a bit melancholy, well it sure was emotional facing that first Xmas after having the surgery. Hope you all enjoy this recording of me and my trusty old alto friend - and Merry Xmas all!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas - Randy Sherwood

Randy ... One of my favorite Christmas songs, beautifully done ... Thank you ...

And Prostate Cancer is another thing we have in common ...

Safe travels, have a Blessed Christmas, and a Happy HEALTHY New Year ...

God Bless ...

Great job, Randy, and while my PSA is relatively high, after 4 negative biopsies in 6 years, I really don't care. Damned biopsies hurt like hell toward the end, and long before prostate cancer would kill me, my lungs will do the number on me.

Gary

Thanks Guys! PC is no laughing matter. And I agree w/you Gary - those biopsies are indeed a royal pain in the A$@ pun intended! Wishing you both a pleasant holiday!

Fabulous!

Randy, when they make an arranger sax that sounds like that, I'll be back in the market for one.

chas

Thanks Sparky and Chas!

Chas, yes, I agree. That's an old Selmer Mark VI that I purchased while in college - paid $400 for it - these days they are antiques for sure - but a nice full, clear tone and it (still) plays very well in tune across the horn. Happy Holidays guys!

Randy, the Mark VI is the Gold standard ... My friend was offered thousands for his ...

Beautiful version Randy.

very nice .....would be nice to hear the same version done again today....and one on the sx900 using the Alto sax also...
keep them coming so nice to listen.

No one on keyboard can duplicate a real sax player, not even with a great sax sound.. but here goes an offering.. At least it shows a comparison.

I forgot to mention ..it is an E-A7.

https://app.box.com/s/mgpjyk9i9y0hknysg01nu8iyjujbv3fb

A fine job Fran how was it recorded..?..
why is there always an excuse before people post a song here .....
just play and post no need for softening the blow all the time .

The EA7 has some great sounds. The BloAltoVib is my favorite.

Yep Tony - the old Selmers (have the Mark VI alto and soprano) are worth some bucks...might just sell them off now as I rarely play them out on gigs - usually take less expensive horns, especially to the beach gigs.

Great job on that one Fran! EA7 has a very respectable Alto sound! Nice work! Thanks for sharing!

Donny recorded the way I always do on the EA0.. Push the record button and stop when I finish

Don, that is your favorite sax... Added reverb and chorus, and bumped up velocity.. It did record at a lower volume than I would have liked..

Randy really no comparing to your sax work..

Randy, WOW, excellent, very nice, played it 3 times....I would love for you to do the same song with the 900, and do it as close as you can to that performance!

Randy, not good, great fits much better. You are a Pro.
Your improvisation never lost site of the melody. I love that.

Played most of my jobs with a sax player,
you would have done a great job.
John C.

PS, I hear your sax impro lines when you play the keyboard. Nice.

Years ago, I was told that when you play a sax on your keyboard, you must think like a sax player. And the same for all the other instruments.
Fran, you did a good job with the alto, thamks.

John C.

Nice Fran.

I play (home jam) with a great sax player. I think that's why it's harder for me to accept a 'keyboard sax'. Consequently, he DOES NOT LIKE playing with the 'drum machine' (BK7m) even when the pattern is well suited to the song. Doesn't bother me but that may be because I'm used to it and he's not. His words, "they SOUND like drums, they just don't FEEL like drums". Ehhh. Personally, I'd rather rehearse with it than without it. Of course the secret is the judicious use of variations and fills, setting the right tempo, and making sure the basic beat fits the tune. I think a lot of arranger players could use a lesson or two on how to best use the 'drum machine' built into our arrangers. I have heard performances ON THIS BOARD where an entire song would be played without a single break, fill, or pattern variation. If it sounds monotonous, then it's not the arrangers fault, it's the players. This is a case of no talent or no imagination. Just sayin'.

chas

I used to jam with a great sax player, Jimmy McKinney, who was inducted into the Maryland Musicians Hall Of Fame. On the forum, he was known as Jimsax. Jim said the one thing a drum machine did for him was hone his timing and made him a much better player, especially when he was jamming with a full band. I couldn't agree more. Jim passed away several years ago while playing his sax on the job at a nearby marina restaurant. He owned a Tyros2 and played his sax along with midi files. He was also a pretty good vocalist. He was just 62 when he passed away.

Most players of individual instruments, and often, vocalist, had lousy timing when jamming and playing with a full band, at least that was my experience. My departed friend Jerry Burns, who was a Peabody trained musician, once told me that a good drummer had to be as exact as a drum machine or he would not be allowed to play in the Army band, which Jerry played in during his time in the US Army. Jerry also was the piano player for the Zim Zimerel Orchestra, and said that Zim was a real stickler for timing, and hired the best of the best for his big band, which played throughout the mid-Atlantic region for 4 decades, including several times at the White House. Pay close attention to the drummer and bass player in the attached video - it's as if they had a metronome in their hands.



Gary

Gary, the band was great, the vocalist was great (classic big-band vocalist), in fact everything was great EXCEPT the bandleaders DANCING. Yikes! If he was a stickler for timing, he must have forgot to tell his feet . I noticed the band members didn't look at him much. I think I know why . Actually, I enjoyed the video. No amateurs in THAT band. I just have to wonder; except for large casinos, how many clubs, even large, well-known ones, could afford to have that kind of band THESE days? Ahhh, the golden age of music. Remember SINATRA SINGS, COUNT BASIE SWINGS? What a great collaboration.

chas

Lee - thanks so much! I am planning to do a tune or two which will offer a comparison of the real vs SX900 sax on the same arrangment...coming to a forum near you....soon! Thanks again and have a happy holiday!

Thanks so much John! I miss gigging with a live bands. Get to do it a few times a year but mostly doing solo restaurant work these days in addition to the beach weddings. Miss the big band days too. Never too late, maybe something will turn up around here. Happy holidays John!

Thanks Rikki - that recording was made right about the time the CD burners became available for home use for audio. I used a Mackie 12 channel mixer and a digital reverb - was in heaven with that technology back then! Had a ball putting a CD of Xmas stuff together. Merry Xmas Rikki!

Donny - will do - I am planning to do some music and will tag team the live sax with the SX900. It will be interesting and a fun project. Have a great holiday DNJ!

Looking forward to that Randy.

Very cool. Is there anything better than a sax? Great job Randy, you are so very talented.

Fran....that sounded very good too...….

The only thing better than roses on your piano is ..... tulips on your organ!

Geeeeze Dave I hope you find another redhead soon
& order some more blue pills ...

Tell ya what Donny, he needs nothing for his memory.

Randy,

Wonderful version, I know it well from the CD you sent me all those years ago. I was just listening to your Christmas CD when I was out walking a few days ago.

Either I’m losing my mind or just don’t remember but Randy and Tony I don’t remember that either one of you had iprostate cancer. I am a prostrate cancer survivor. I had a radical prostatectomy at 56years of age in January of 2008 at Mass General Hospital and have been cancer free since. When I was being wheeled into the OR several medical personnel told me you are having the “surgeon’s surgeon” performing the operation. Those were probably some of the most reassuring words I’ve ever heard.

Yeah Steve - we all tend to like to forget the things like that! You and I had discussed it several years back (the fact we both were "inductees")… I had mine removed at Johns Hopkins - the guy who took mine out had written a book about it. Go figure. At Hopkins, they had an entire wing of PC patients. A real "disassembly line" operation.

Thanks for the kind words on the saxy stuff! And Happy Holidays - Have some Chowda for me!

No other redheads please me so far, and what are these blue pills you refer to? (must be an old guy thing)

yes all us old guys

Not sure why you're bragging about this (especially here).... but OK.

I guess it was your "Tulips on your organ!" reference...

btw I never tried it too afraid of a heart attack.....
"Au Naturale" for me

They now have generic ones. You wanna know the name?

How do they work Don?

I dunno, you wanna know the name? Come on ask me the name.

ok What's the name?

Mycoxxaphloppin.

O
M
G
!!!!!!!

Donny MADE me tell him the name.

It's funny.

... Almost as funny as the name of the operation to change a female to a male ....

it's an adadictomie

Don and Dave ... You guys are BAD !!!

Steve, Can't believe we haven't discussed this in our conversations all these years ... Mine came about through a physical I was taking prior to a knee replacement ... Obviously, the knee was put off for a while ...

Great, will be watching for it in a forum nears us....

Tony, I can't believe it either, could be I just don't have a recollection of it. I draw a total blank even with Randy's. Go figure?

Lovely rendition Randy. Merry Christmas!

Thanks Zuki and MontunoMan! Hope you both and your families have a great and safe holiday!

For Lee and the others wondering about the sound of SX900 compared to the real sax, I am posting a short comparison demo shortly... Hope you enjoy it.

Nice playing and the backround is super too. Merry Christmas and safe travels

I realise I am late to the party . I am now going to have to search back for all of your musical compositions and performances Randy .

Wow ...just wow !!

Well worth the time ...

https://saxyguy.com/#

Spalding - thanks again for the kindness and for your interest! I'd be honored to have you listen to my recordings. Tony pointed you to my GoDaddy website at www.saxyguy.com. You can also find videos on my youtube site at Randy Sherwood's Youtube Page

Have fun and hope you like what you see and hear. I have had a wonderful and lifelong relationship with the saxophone and I do my best to create positive vibes every time I get the chance to play it. Thanks again for the comments!

Tony - thanks for the endorsement! Check is going in the mail tomorrow Brother! Thanks again and happy holidays!

My pleasure, Randy ... Always want to spread the word about good music ...

As a side note not only is Randy the great saxophonist he is, but he has a collection of ham radio videos that are entertaining. He even did one with a Santa Claus theme.

Tony and Steve - thanks again guys! You are both toooo kind!

Steve, I guess the "artsy fartsy" in me extends to hamming too. Ha Ha. For any of you who love the old "Xmas Story" with Ralphie - I decided to do one substituting an antenna for the Red Ryder Range Model BB Gun. Featured the sound track from the Ralphie movie and a bit of the plot... Little did I know when I did up the video that I was about to promote several thousand bucks in sales to the designer of the antenna I featured. He was the first one to comment on the video when I posted it. Guess the news traveled fast all the way to his home in Brazil - he said "Thank you for the most beautiful Christmas gift that I could never imagine I would receive one day". I have heard from dozens of hams who bought this $300 antenna based on my "Ralphie the ham" video. Any who want a laugh at this old guy in an acting role - or who may wonder what you can do with 10 watts of power (considered ultra-low power and referred to as "QRP" in ham lingo) and a "hula hoop" antenna... here is the link to my "Ham Radio Xmas Story" video....

Randy aka N4SAX!!

I forgot how entertaining that video is!! You’re a real character in that video.

73
W1DAM

Zuki - thanks so much for the listen and the kind words! All those days in Elementary school (when I gave the music resource teacher a headache) paid off I guess. Thanks for the kind words!



Thanks Steve - always fun to "Relive" the excitement of being "in production"... ha ha ha. The wife enjoyed helping me put the thing together too. It was fun fun fun!

Randy,

I was a little remiss in not giving kudos to Nancy, she does a great job with it too!