Joined
·
2,370 Posts
..I found this video on Youtube and thought it was great! Not sure when exactly it was shot but I think within the last few years of his life:
Boots Randolph in the studio, casual setting..
1 - 20 of 27 Posts
Joined
·
7,851 Posts
cool
nice find
nice find
Joined
·
18,210 Posts
Great clip, thanks for sharing 
. This also shows that making music is all about having fun and being relaxed.
I remember having seen Mr. Randolph once in Amsterdam in the late 80's, during a master class of Rock & Roll saxophone given in Paradiso (an old Church, now a famous pop music hall). In the afternoon three master of R&R sax (Boots, Sil Austin and Lee Allen) gave a master class (actually Lee Allen was not in, he seemed to be stucked somewere in a coffee shop or cafe in Amsterdam :bluewink. I was just starting on sax and was very impressed by the sound of Boots (I think he played a big tip Berg Larsen) and Sil (Otto Link 8*). I remember Boots invited some guys from the audience to play 'Yakety Sax' and one guy from Zeeland (South of Holland) played it so well that Boots was really amazed. He said something like 'They play it better overhere than I ever can!'. In the evening all three (Boots, Sil and Lee) played a set with after that a big jam session, including Hans and Candy Dulfer (who can play tremendous bluesy sax if she wants!). Those where the days !
I remember Boots from that day in Amsterdam as a very modest and friendly man and a hell of a saxophone player.
. This also shows that making music is all about having fun and being relaxed. I remember having seen Mr. Randolph once in Amsterdam in the late 80's, during a master class of Rock & Roll saxophone given in Paradiso (an old Church, now a famous pop music hall). In the afternoon three master of R&R sax (Boots, Sil Austin and Lee Allen) gave a master class (actually Lee Allen was not in, he seemed to be stucked somewere in a coffee shop or cafe in Amsterdam :bluewink
. I was just starting on sax and was very impressed by the sound of Boots (I think he played a big tip Berg Larsen) and Sil (Otto Link 8*). I remember Boots invited some guys from the audience to play 'Yakety Sax' and one guy from Zeeland (South of Holland) played it so well that Boots was really amazed. He said something like 'They play it better overhere than I ever can!'. In the evening all three (Boots, Sil and Lee) played a set with after that a big jam session, including Hans and Candy Dulfer (who can play tremendous bluesy sax if she wants!). Those where the days !I remember Boots from that day in Amsterdam as a very modest and friendly man and a hell of a saxophone player.
Joined
·
2,370 Posts
Wow that was quite the trio to be able to see mrpeebee, wish I was there!
I am surprised you say Boots was playing a Berg, for years his mouthpiece of choice was a Dukoff 9.
I am surprised you say Boots was playing a Berg, for years his mouthpiece of choice was a Dukoff 9.
Joined
·
18,210 Posts
Yes, that was a fantastic event in Amsterdam back in the late 80's .
I wasn't sure about the mouthpiece of Boots (that's why I mentioned "I think he played a big tip Berg Larsen"). It's indeed not a Berg according to some pics I just checked and >this< info on his website (see the bottom of that page). Thanks for correcting.
.I wasn't sure about the mouthpiece of Boots (that's why I mentioned "I think he played a big tip Berg Larsen"). It's indeed not a Berg according to some pics I just checked and >this< info on his website (see the bottom of that page). Thanks for correcting
.
Joined
·
7,851 Posts
Great video, just wish the engineer hadn't leaned back and blocked the view... or the camera was in a different postion (sorry video guy comeing out..lol)
I remember reading somewhere he played a different mpc earlier, something with tone in the name velvettone, maybe a Brilhart?... purportedly a rare mpc. I think Charlie A had and played one and used it as a basis for his BBQ mpc.
I remember reading somewhere he played a different mpc earlier, something with tone in the name velvettone, maybe a Brilhart?... purportedly a rare mpc. I think Charlie A had and played one and used it as a basis for his BBQ mpc.
That is the hardest thing to do but it does save a lot of wasted time that you can spend in the studio. I've done a few of these and the hardest thing is the "letting go" part when you are playing only a chorus or less on some chick singer recording. I usually end up doing three or four takes that are a completely different approach.
You have to love Boot's sound!
You have to love Boot's sound!
http://theowanne.com/knowledge/mouthpiece-museum/mouthpiece-museum-brilhart
A lot of the old timers I knew growing up played Level Aires and wouldn't doubt that Boots did too back in the day. There were known for having that gritty sound.
Joined
·
4,047 Posts
Thats a really cool and enlightening video. Thanks Alan.
Reminds me of something I badly need to sound good - a Boots Randolph in the closet!
Reminds me of something I badly need to sound good - a Boots Randolph in the closet!
Joined
·
5,649 Posts
Check out the last cd Boots put out - A Whole New Ball Game. It is indeed a much different sound than his earlier cds/LPs/tapes like Yakety Sax, but as far as I know, he played a Dukoff 9 with Rico/LaVoz 3 reeds on that recording in the '60s and never changed his setup. Of course, his Dukoffs were probably NOT bought off-the-shelf but still, the sound he gets on A Whole New Ball Game certainly is just what you described as "fatter and more lush" than what he plays on for his long established and recognizable "R&R" style.
Joined
·
7,851 Posts
IIRC it was NOT a Levelaire, different name, it may have had aire in it though, the name that is, not the mpc.... I wonder if Charlie A's website is still up I think he had a story about it on there.
now I'm curious...
I'm thinking something like Velvetaire....I remember Charlie saying it was rare. some of the real oldtimers around here might remember...
Joined
·
2,370 Posts
Bill-Here is a slightly edited version of his interview from the book 'Boot's Randolph's Rock & Roll Saxophone' :
"Early on I was playing jazz and using a Coleman Hawkins model Otto Link mouthpiece. The Link had a certain sound but after a period of time I realized that sound was not going to be able to keep up with the modern sound. I wasn't getting the harmonics out of the Link, the chamber just was not right. When I came to Nashville I was using a Velvet Brass Brilhart. After that it was the Hollywood model Bobby Dukoff. I started using Dukoffs in the late 60's. When I played the Jackie Gleason Show the tenor man in Sammy Spear's orchestra gave me a different model Bobby was making, the D7. It played so well that I started using it exclusively. Bobby saw me using the D7 on The Ed Sullivan Show and called me and said he wanted to send me a D8. After he heard me play the D8 on a record he said "You should play a 9". I was using a 2 reed on the 8 and he thought I should play a 9 with a stiffer reed. I said "No way I can handle a 9" He said "Yes I think you can". I put a 3 on the 9 and couldn't play it. But I stuck with it and after awhile I had the bottom, middle and the full altissimo range. The quintessential rock & roll mouthpiece. It beat Berg Larsen because of it's response on the lower notes. I'd also tried Wolf Tayne but those were shallow in certain parts of the horn. This Dukoff delivers the whole spectrum."
The timing suggests that the original recording of Yakety Sax must have been recorded on the Velvet Brass Brilhart.
Joined
·
7,851 Posts
Thanks Alan, guess my tiny grey cells are still functioning... ;-) I have to pick up that book one of these days. Only ever tried a Dukoff LD years back, but do I really want to get back on the mpc carousel? lol
1 - 20 of 27 Posts
