Saxophone Forum


by jing24
(31 posts)
19 years ago

how many black alto's do you have in ur band

i'm black and i was just wondering NOT that i'm racist or anything but how many black saxes are there

Reply To Post [Report Abuse]

Report Abuse

Replies

  1. by Sax Mom
    (964 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

    Siily me. I thought you were talking about the color of the finish on the saxophone. I played in North Dakota, many years ago, and we were not racially diverse at that time. However, many of the greats in Jazz were black. I'd rather decide on whether I like the sound, than what color of skin the player has (or the color of the lacquer, for that matter).

    Reply To Post


  2. by Radjammin
    (255 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

    Not that I am not used to translating non specific posters, but do you mean Black finished alto saxes or do you mean Black Alto Sax Players? I don't think anyone really knows what you mean as you have only 1 reply. No matter which one you mean, why do you ask? If you are asking about finishes, it's because only recently has it become more popular I doubt they coudln't have made black laquer in the past. And they have had nickel plated saxes for a long time too, probably easily tinted to black. All about what's popular. Ok now if you mean black players, most of the important sax players have been black. Probaby relates to the origin of the blues and jazz. I would say alot of prof. sax players are black but as far as community players, I really see more white players then black, and I live in a pretty black white area. Not much deversity in other races in this area so I can't really comment on that. But it's common in most of the community bands I have played in this area (at least 4) there are more white players in all groups then black, including sax (ironicly 2 groups were lead by black conductors). When I was in college there was really only 2 black sax players and many more white ones. Both were really good, one tenor and one alto player and this was in a school that probaby had 20 Sax Majors at all school levels. You can see the uneven levels. I really wouldn't want to predict why the levels were like they were because whenever you make obvious conclusions based on real facts people start screaming Racial Profiling or Rasist so I will just let you decide whatever you like base on my observation of my playing area. Is that enough answer for whichever you ment?

    Reply To Post Yahoo! AIM


    1. by jing24
      (31 posts)

      19 years ago

      Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

      not that i'm racist it's just that i have 2 black guys that play alto in the whole band

      Reply To Post


  3. by kelsey
    (930 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

    Jazz was invented mostly by black people. Now people of all colors love and play Jazz. How well you play it is the important thing.......Kelsey
    Barry Kelsey

    Reply To Post AIM


    1. by jing24
      (31 posts)

      19 years ago

      Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

      thank you those who answer your answer are greatly aperceated

      Reply To Post


  4. by nad1rn
    (37 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

    color does matter...just the quality of the music anyways... We have one black bari sax, one flute, and one trumpet in a group of 103 people

    Reply To Post AIM


    1. by JeremyA
      (28 posts)

      19 years ago

      Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

      I agree with what you guys have said. Race does not matter, what matters is if you can play. However, I recently got the ken burns history of jazz book and there is a whole section that questions if a white jazz musician is an oxymoron. The argument is that although now whites seem to dominate jazz, black musicians are/were the main innovaters in jazz and beyond bix beiderbecke and benny goodman, us whities have not had any innovaters. It also goes on to say that since jazz was invented by blacks, is it possible to be white and play jazz?The article mainly presents different views on the topic not leaning to one side or the other, but again I don't think race matters. But to answer the original question, our sax section in jazz band, with the exception of me, is entirely black and the symphonic band is about half and half.

      Reply To Post


      1. by Radjammin
        (255 posts)

        19 years ago

        Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

        ugh, I really dislike "it doesn't matter" statements and "can't we just get along" statements and "It's not the horn you play but the player" statments. I guess I just like facts vs. feel good comments. I wish people could just answer questions instead of interget their everyone loves everyone comments and it doesn't matter what anything is. I personally wish people woudl take all the facts they had available to them, make a deliberate statement and then not get all wishy washing about who it might offend. Facts > Political Correctness. I guess it's just the generation I grew up in. I have had Korean,Chinese,Black,Afgan,and White roomates and I think opinion should make every effort to be non-rasist but opinion should not suffer just to be politically correct. If you have an opinion state it, and do not fear the rasict witchhunt. This thread really isn't about this, really just someone asking a question. I just had to comment on how much I hate the "feel good posts" Other then everyone sitting around huging one another, it doesn't add to the knowledgebase.

        Reply To Post Yahoo! AIM


        1. by saxjunkie89
          (393 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

          last year we had a senior who played alto who was black. But this year our band has different types of people of different cultures/races. We have a Jewish flute player, an Islamic mallet player, and a Chinese trumpet player. That doesn't really matter though, as long as we're all there to make music, we're friends unconditionally.

          Reply To Post


        2. by YanagisawA-901
          (312 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

          we are one of the leading high school jazz bands on the east coast and the majority of our band is somthing other than caucasion 3 out of 5 sax players are african american 2 out of 5 boners are african american 1 african american and 1 asian kid in a 4 man trumpet section our piano player is vietnamese our back up set drummer and lead toy player is african american our set drum player is latino and our bass player is white buttttt.. what does that matter dude? if ur not racist why the hell does it need to be brought up? were all the same people, were all put on this earth for the same reason.. when i look at a person, one of hte last things i do is look at thier color because that automatically opens your eyes to racism

          Reply To Post Yahoo! AIM ICQ


        3. by connsaxman_jim
          (2336 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: how many black alto's do you have in ur band

          Having played music with people of all colors from all over the world, I can tell you that some of the finest musicians I have ever had the privilage to work with were African American. They put so much into their music; heart and soul, and make music fun. I've probably learned more from them than anyone. There is a black lady named Sabrina who is well known in the Flint, MI area. She plays an old Buescher alto she calls Matty after her mama, and she can really make that thing sing! Every time I hear her play, she just amazes me and inspires me.

          Reply To Post Yahoo!