App review: Fingering Woodwinds for iPhone

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Given how huge apps are, I figured there might be something in Apple's App Store.  And lo and behold there is "an app for that."  It's called Fingering Woodwinds for iPhone ($4.99, iTunes link).  The developer does have a separate iPad version as well for $6.99.  While I would like to review that one as well, sadly at the time of writing I don't own an iPad.

Fingering Woodwinds for iPhone is a great app.  It's not perfect, but every woodwind artist and band director (or someone who deals with multiple instruments) should spend the $5, well worth it in my opinion.  In fact, for the band directors who need quick access to both brass and woodwind fingerings, Patrick Q. Kelly has an app for that too.

 

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How to clean a woodwind mouthpiece

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Let's face the facts.  You probably need to clean your mouthpiece.  I've known for a while that my mouthpieces needed a good cleaning.  It's one of those things we know we as woodwind players know we should do more often but don't.  After reading this article on NPR about wind players getting sick from the filth in their instruments, I finally decided to do something about the declining state of my mouthpieces.  (one could argue that while some instrumentalists are suffering from hypersensitivity pneumonitis, there are still millions of professionals, amateurs, and students who do not)    

What you will need:  

  • Liquid dish soap
  • Warm water
  • Woodwind mouthpiece brush OR a soft bristled toothbrush

 

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JazzTimes interviews Eddie Daniels

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Lee Mergner of the JazzTimes recently interviewed the legendary jazz clarinetist Eddie Daniels about a new upcoming project. Luckily for us the conversation went very long, with Eddie talking a lot about players he enjoys working with, ensemble concept, clubs versus festivals, tenor players around New York in the 70's, and more. Be sure to read the whole interview here.

That was a heckuva band back then with Thad and Mel and must have been quite an experience for a young player like Daniels. “Jerome Richardson was the lead alto, Pepper Adams was the baritone, Joe Farrell was the tenor when we started, plus Jerry Dodgion and myself. Roland Hanna on piano, Richard Davis on bass. Snooky Young, Bob Brookmeyer, Garnett Brown. Just a fabulous band. Getting a chance to listen to Joe Farrell and then Joe Henderson was great.”
Heady company for a young tenor player. “Joe was the other tenor player in the band when I was there. And Michael Brecker was a student of mine at one point and was a great friend. I thought, ‘I love the way these guys play, I think they play better than I do.’ But with the clarinet, I thought I’d have my own channel. But eventually I realized that I could come back to the tenor. I don’t have to be Joe Henderson, I don’t have to be Michael Brecker, I’m Eddie.”
The interesting thing about those two tenor players is that for all their incredible talents, they were both very humble people. Daniels thinks that it’s no accident. “When you are making music at that high a level, there’s no time to do anything else but work your art. If you’re not humble, then you’re in the wrong business.”