[Alex Munte]

Hi,

I was watching this concert and I love Maupin's sound/playing here! I remember listening a while back to Andrew Hill's "Mosaic Select 16" (which is a favorite and it was recorded in about the same period) and at that time I had the same reaction; I can recognize his sound. I was wondering if anyone can identify what he was playing in this video? Is that a Buffet with a metal Selmer mouthpiece?

(solo starts at around min 10:00)

Thanks!

 

[HeavyWeather77]

Man, Bennie sounds so good in that clip. Thanks for sharing that! He's such a beautiful musician, his own albums are wonderful too.

I was always under the impression that he usually played a Selmer saxophone with a rubber Selmer Soloist mouthpiece, but that does indeed look like a metal Selmer piece in the video. The horn could go either way, it looks like it could be either a Selmer Super Balanced or a Buffet Super Dynaction... the neck looks more Selmer-ish to me, my own Buffet SDA (which I sadly sold years ago) had a different angle to the neck. So I'm betting he's playing a Selmer here, but I could be wrong, and the engraving looks more Buffet-ish. Curious what the vintage horn experts have to say.

 

[rhysonsax]

And his neck strap is a Selmer.

Rhys

 

[rzzzzz]

Miles called in Bennie to play bass clarinet on Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson. obviously played soprano as well as tenor and bass clarinet with Herbie Hancock throughout the '70's. And his own title on ECM, Jewell in the Lotus is outstanding/

 

[1saxman]

'scroll-shank' Selmer metal. See it in this good dissertation on that series.

 

[Tryptykon]

Man, Bennie sounds so good in that clip. Thanks for sharing that! He's such a beautiful musician, his own albums are wonderful too.

I was always under the impression that he usually played a Selmer saxophone with a rubber Selmer Soloist mouthpiece, but that does indeed look like a metal Selmer piece in the video. The horn could go either way, it looks like it could be either a Selmer Super Balanced or a Buffet Super Dynaction... the neck looks more Selmer-ish to me, my own Buffet SDA (which I sadly sold years ago) had a different angle to the neck. So I'm betting he's playing a Selmer here, but I could be wrong, and the engraving looks more Buffet-ish. Curious what the vintage horn experts have to say.

Looks like a Buffet. Check the body-to-bell brace . Not to mention the overall darker sound of those tenors have .

 

[Guto]

Buffet

 

[HeavyWeather77]

I really miss the thick, dark sound of my old Buffet SDA... I've always said, whenever money is no object (a fool's fantasy for a career musician), I'll definitely buy another one if I can find it in good condition. Those horns are heavy as hell but holy crap do they sound good.

In this clip, Bennie just sounds like Bennie, to me! Which is to say, excellent. I actually didn't realize he and Billy Cobham were ever in Horace Silver's group with Randy B, I never checked out any of those records. This group sounds great.

 

[Alex Munte]

Miles called in Bennie to play bass clarinet on Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson. obviously played soprano as well as tenor and bass clarinet with Herbie Hancock throughout the '70's. And his own title on ECM, Jewell in the Lotus is outstanding/

Thanks! I will check that album for sure!

 

[Alex Munte]

I really miss the thick, dark sound of my old Buffet SDA... I've always said, whenever money is no object (a fool's fantasy for a career musician), I'll definitely buy another one if I can find it in good condition. Those horns are heavy as hell but holy crap do they sound good.

In this clip, Bennie just sounds like Bennie, to me! Which is to say, excellent. I actually didn't realize he and Billy Cobham were ever in Horace Silver's group with Randy B, I never checked out any of those records. This group sounds great.

Yeah, I hear you! I only tried a Buffet alto once and it matches that description. I love that group too and Maupin plays so intense!

 

[Alex Munte]

Thanks everyone, looks like a SDA indeed.