Thanks to All - and HELP!

SZ Friends - First, I want to thank Nigel and all the folks who contribute on here for all the help you have provided to myself and the other "newbies" over the last couple years. I started playing arrangers w/the PSR-1000 about 4 years ago and have been able to get to the point of playing an arranger on my gigs (T2 now)...and I have to tell you that SZ is a large part of the reason I have progressed to the level I am at. Certainly not an "arranger pro" yet, I will continue to strive to improve my performance abilities and just want to say thanks for all the help I've gotten from you all.

I spent this past weekend building up my website. It is http://www.saxyguy.com. If you don't mind, please check the site and let me know your thoughts, and also if it functions properly on your computers. I am using GoDaddy as my host and the only person that has checked it so far reports that several of my MP3s will not play. Of course, I have no problem from my computer, and am wondering if it's just a glitch or not.

Thanks to all who listen and hope you like my Tyros selections (sax playing as well).

Randy

[This message has been edited by saxxman (edited 04-15-2008).]

I enjoy your 'ARRANGER MUSIC" on Tyros, as much as I love to check out live band, I try to see Arranger act as well, but here in Dallas area, it's kind of hard to find.......any way the Tyros and your playing sound good, you actually made me feel bad that I sold it before really giving it a fair try.

------------------
Tye

Thanks Tye! The T2 is a great board and it's simple enough for a sax player to operate. HA HA. There are some great styles out there, particularly in the last few batches of updates. I am always on the lookout for jazzy styles that I can use for cocktail and smooth jazz background music (which is mostly what I play). Thanks for the checking out my site and for the good words!

Randy

Nice sight, great performances, great accomplishments, great LIFE!
DonM

The site works and looks great, and your music is superb.

Ian

Randy, nice work all around both the music and the web site.

Guys - thanks so very much for checking it out and for your comments. I have absorbed a lot of knowledge, tons of styles, ideas for gigging, and a wealth of perspectives on music and performing from this forum. You all are the experts and have helped me tremendously. Thanks again!

Randy

Hi Randy ,

That is a very good web site !!

I really liked "Ain`t No Sunshine" , great playing !

Take care,
Gary 

"you all are the experts and have helped me tremendously."

Ex: An unknown quantity
Spert: A drip under pressure.

Hi Randy

Tks for sharing you HQ music.
Your "Over the rainbow" is excellent.
Nice sax phrases and kbd as well.
My sincere congrats from Brazil
Chico

The Demos where great the tone of your sax was especially pleasing and the overall site has a nice layout to it.

Now one little thing I would like to see different. On your home page I would put a short who, what, where, when, why, with an option to read the expanded bio if I choose.
I would like to see an opening paragraph or even statement with a larger font (for emphasis) that says who you are, what you do, maybe your age or age group (approx), where you do it (area).

To be honest I got to the homepage and said to myself I'm not reading all that and skipped to the demo page.

Again that's just my opinion and I consider myself an average guy but if it doesn't grab my attention and make me want to investigate further in the first few seconds...you've lost me. I'm not a web designer or an advertising guru of any sort.

This is where I put in a bunch of smiley faces and some initials (afaik) (imho)and hope I haven't offended anyone.

[This message has been edited by mikeathome1 (edited 04-15-2008).]

Mike - actually, your suggestions are welcome and very insightful. I have a 5-page limit w/GoDaddy, but I am going to check and see if I can maybe make the front page more abbreviated and put a link to the details page. Right now, I have all pages used up, but I think I could probably work the "photos" page into a detailed page and intersperse some of the photos I have on that page within the text. I'm using GoDaddy's "Website Tonight" vice building my own HTML scripts and there are a some limitations w/Website Tonight. But I believe I might be able to implement what you are suggesting. I'll check it out and if I get it changed, I'll let y'all know and you can check out the new arrangement.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

PS - and thanks to all for the kind words.

Chico - I did the keyboard part on "Rainbow" too. Kirk Whalum plays "Over the Rainbow" by starting it the same way, so I wanted to do it that way too. Glad you liked it! Thanks Much!

Randy

Maybe you don't even need a new page just put up the brief descriptive paragraph on top, like I said with a larger or different font, then add a line like " to see more of my story read on" and then separate it by using a couple of spaces and a smaller font for the text.
I think it could work that it's all on one page, as long as the first thing I see draws me in.

I would take the last paragraph maybe expand it a little , make it larger, and use that first.



[This message has been edited by mikeathome1 (edited 04-15-2008).]

Randy ... excellent site ... excellent playing ...
Everything is good, but I agree with Chico about 'Rainbow' ... I thought it was the best ... Who are your sax influences?

If you wouldn't mind, could you give us more details about the recording process? ...
thanks much for sharing...
t.

PS: I had the same impression as Mike when I saw the opening page ... but while listening I did read most of it ... you have been fortunate to have an interesting and seemingly fulfilling life ...
t.

Superb playing. I can't believe we even have arguments about which keyboard has a better sax after listening to your live playing!

They keyboard sounds great as well. What styles are you using?

Amen to that, chony!

Tape yourself playing a sax solo, then listen straight away to a Lester Young solo, or some Stan Getz, and be prepared to be humbled!

Guys – thanks for the words of encouragement. I recorded “Over the Rainbow” about 10 years ago. All my sax recordings were done in the following way:

- Sequences done w/Power Tracks
- Sound module was Roland MGS64 rack mount unit
- Tracks from there into a Mackie 1202 mixer
- Sax recorded on a CAD mic into the mixer
- Effects from an Alesis Midi-Verb unit
- Tracks recorded onto a Yamaha MD4S minidisk recorder
- Tracks merged onto my computer and tweaked w/CoolEdit Pro

All the Tyros recordings were made by recording them directly to hard disk using the Tyros 2 functions.

Regarding my sax playing, Cannonball Adderley came and did a clinic w/my jazz band in college. I listened (in those days) to Lou Donaldson, Eddie Harris, Dexter Gordon, and Sonny Stitt. Later on I was lucky enough to see Grover, Stanley Turrentine, Dave Sanborn, and several of the “war horses” live. Lately I have enjoyed attending several jazz festivals and listening to the modern players too, including Steve Cole, Kirk Whalum, Art Porter, Gerald Albright to name some.

Here are the styles I used for the Tyros samples on the web site:

- Besseme Mucho --- Beguine (116) and 2nd Intro
- Thought of You --- Pro Bossa Nova (124) (no Intro used)
- Ain’t No Sunshine --- Chillout 1 (80) and 2nd Intro
- Name of Love --- R&B Soul Ballad (85) and 2nd Intro
- So Cool --- I renamed the style I used and haven’t retrieved the original name yet. However, three other styles that are also great on that song are Chart Pop 2, Modern R&B, and Pob Guitar Ballad. Tempo I use is 96.

To all – I must agree I have been very blessed to have an interesting life. It wasn’t all fun (I went the “prostate’s gotta go route” 10 years ago). My wife is wonderful to have tolerated me and she is a beautiful, wonderful lady. I only hope that the next chapter will have plenty of pages in it for music. It’s a wonderful and very therapeutic thing as you all are aware. I have several recording projects in mind and look forward to getting the time to pursue them.

Thanks again to all for checking the site, listening and commenting.

Randy

Looks and sounds like you have the whole package - congratulations on a great life

Well, you did a good job and got a great sound for a sound module from ten years ago.

Chony - yes, I am still a "stone ager"... HA HA... Anyone need a Roland U-20? The MGS-64 is still in my rack. Haven't done anything with that stuff in the last couple years since the arrangers arrived.

I did buy a Korg 16-track recorder so my next stuff will be less of a wiring mess. Some of my tracks - "Can You Stop the Rain" for example, was done using Band in a Box arrangements. Now if I just get the time.

Randy

Randy I too use BIAB on gigs. I converted some into midi files to load into my i30 for the convenience on 1-hour gigs so as not to have to set up the laptop.

On longer gigs I use BIAB on the laptop. I can improvise better when seeing the chords on the screen for the more difficult tunes like "All The Things You Are."

I also really enjoy the turn-arounds using the pedal bass on the 2nd and 4th beats. It makes the tunes swing more and inspires my improvisation.

Man you sound great on the Christmas tune. That’s the only tune that loads complete for me.
Boo

Boo - thanks for the good words - most appreciated from a fellow reed man! I will zip the demos and email them to you, or if you send me your mailing address, I'll fire you a CD w/more stuff than is on the web site.

I have heard from another person that they can't play all the tunes. Not sure what the problem is yet.

I use several BIAB tracks on my gigs. I also have several I did on the Tyros and some of the Hal Leonard backing track series.

Thanks again for checking the site out and the kind words! Let me know how you want me to send you the files...

Randy

[This message has been edited by saxxman (edited 04-16-2008).]

Boo - you will have "snail mail" on Monday - the Xmas CD as well as the whole demo CD.

Hope you like them!

Randy

The first time into the site I was only getting 30 - 40 seconds of the songs ... second time in they all D/L fine ...
t.
PS ... Randy - thnx for the info ...
t.

Randy,

Your bandwidth is too limited with the Go Daddy package you have. Move up to the 10 page deluxe and you'll be fine

[This message has been edited by zuki (edited 04-18-2008).]

Randy,
Thanks a bunch. Looking forward to practicing some of your licks. Ha! Ha! I try to copy everyone. I always hear don't copy, do your own stuff. I can't imagine someone copying and being able to play exacty like Dexter, Coltrane, Rollins, Sanborn or any of the greats and being disappointed with their playing. The same goes for Hank jones, McCoy Tyner, Wynton Kelly and the restof the great pianist.

Guys: Thanks again for checking the load times. Zuki - I will check into the bandwidth thing. I think you may be right. GoDaddy doesn't publish much about troubleshooting and you have to call their tech support guys to get some answers, which I will do. I am not sure if it has to do w/clicking before all have loaded. I noticed that if I sit for 30 seconds they all load, but if I jump on one right away it seems to interrupt the loading.

Nearly all the recordings were done a few years ago. I am cranking out my Korg D1600 this weekend and intend to put at least a couple straight jazz tunes out there. Maybe a couple Cole Porter tunes is what I am going to try for if I can get my D1600 to cooperate. Haven't recorded anything with it yet.

Boo - yeah - One of my favorite albums to listen to lately is Gene Harris and Stanley Turrentine and they put out some terrific sounds.

Randy

Still got my MGS-64 in a little rack bag, got my KX5 remote in a little Korg keyboard bag, I want to sit in and jam with a band with a tight stage, this combo is killer!

Basically, it's close to the same engine as my old G1000, so I am very happy and familiar with all the sounds. And the pitch strip on the KX5 neck is the most intuitive bending device I've ever player. It's at the perfect angle and size to be utterly string-like (if you've played guitar or bass) and you can do all kinds of hammer on/off, trill and slide guitar things on it.

I don't care if it looks too retro eighties. To me, what matters is the control you get over the sound. This thing has no equal! I have a K2500 AND a Triton both with strips. They are nowhere NEAR as good as this cheap remote!

And don't get me started about sax emulation...! Learn all you want about the NOTES these great sax players played, and you still know NOTHING about making an arranger sax sound like a real one. The phrasing, with tonguing, legato, timbre, dynamics, scoops, bends, screams, moans and wailing (!) just are beyond modern technology. SA is a good start, now combine that with a breath controller and a palette of sax squeaks and noises, and you might have more of a start, but that's all it is... A start.

Any sax emulation that ever gets indistinguishable from the real thing is going to be SO complicated to play, and have voluntary control over all those myriad sounds is going to be just as hard to play as the real thing.

Might as well just LEARN sax...!

Randy, nice sax work, especially 'Rainbow'. Hearing you list your influences nearly brought a tear to my eye since nearly all of those guys are also heroes of mine as well. I had the good fortune to work with Grover in Atlantic City one summer when he was in his early 20's but he a formidable player even then. It was a great time to be a musician. He was introduced to me by Charlie Earland, a great organ player and friend of mine who died way to soon. This was a period when organ trio's and quartets ruled the club scene. They're starting to make a minor comeback, at least in jazz clubs, and I'm lovin' it.

chas

Diki - you're right about the Roland sound module. I have a buddy in Nashville and he does many of his tracks with the Roland DS-330 which has a very similar sound engine as the MGS-64. I picked one of those up on Ebay a couple years back still in the box for $85. A great little module it is too.

Chas - yeah, I hope the combo's come back. Such a heritage we have in this country. I saw Grover in San Francisco and I saw Stanley w/his band there too. Another time in S/F I lucked out and got to go to see James Moody - a very cool guy and a terrific player. What amazes me is that the music schools like North Texas State and Berkley are still cranking the grads out.... used to be you waited for Maynard Ferguson to come to town and hoped someone on the bus got sick... now I guess they all are making recordings and building web sites. I wish it was like the "good old days" too.

Randy

Randy, Great job from one horn/T2 guy to another. Loved your site and your formal training shines through.

Jim

Saxxman. Ain’t No Sunshine --- Chillout 1 (80) and 2nd Intro. I would never have thought to play it with that style, I just dived for the sheet music to try it and what a good choice....Nice site.

Jim and Graham - thanks so much guys! I really appreciate the kind words! Yes, I love the sax and I also love the keyboard! I could spend hours (okay, I HAVE spent hours!) going over the Tyros and listening to the styles - and in many cases, my experimentation w/the jazzier styles has paid off. You're right, the Chillout style is absolutely perfect for Ain't No Sunshine. The rhythm section and the breaks are perfect.

I just spent some time putting my first (sax) recording down in the last several years. It's a cut of "No Ordinary Love". Wow... I love the Korg D-1600. First time I've fired it up and used it. Man, did it make easy work out of recording that tune. I will put it out on the web site later tonight. Already put more pictures out there.

Thanks again guys for listening and commenting!

Randy

[This message has been edited by saxxman (edited 04-20-2008).]

Talent always shines through.

Cousin Ken

Cousin Ken - thanks so much! I opted out of the big jazzfest yesterday and decided to work on my own music. I played a $400 tenor I got (a steal!) on Ebay and recorded on my Korg D1600 (another EBay deal at Xmas)...and they came together pretty well. The recorder has all the effects and so simple even I can operate it.

I looped "Ordinary Love" so that it plays while you read my bio or look at the photos... Thanks again for visiting my site and the kind comments!

Randy

I like the change you made!

Randy

The modifications in your site was well made.
I am still impressed with your performance .
Who says that a kbd can reproduce (imitate) a sax sound, never listenned a true sax.
Best regards from Brasil
Chico

Chico and Mike - thanks much! Mike, your idea was right on! The "Intro" makes a lot more sense, looks, and works out better. Chico, you're right. I haven't seriously attempted to record my sax in years. But I have a nice CAD mic which allows me to use a lot of dynamics. Very hard to exercise that kind of nuance on the keyboards. I'm looking forward to doing a lot more tunes now!

Thanks again guys and have a great week!

Randy