Boston area teachers

[sjabariiii]

Can anyone recommend a (jazz) saxophone teacher in the Boston area who is: direct, critical, highly pedagogical? I've been working mostly on my own for the last few years and need help curing some bad habits and getting to the next level. Of course I've heard Bergonzi is the best but I have no idea how to get a lesson with him, or if I could afford more than a couple.

thanks for any help.

[EFlat]

hey that makes two of us...if anyone knows of a critical teacher in Boston, please shoot them over...

Eflat

[Tim Price]

Arnie Krackowsky !!!

This guy is one of the best jazz tenor players and a highly schooled saxist.
Bergonzi is a personal friend who WE ALL should study with on and off.
BUT, with that said...call Arnie.YOU need a guy you can go to weekly or semi monthly and chart progress.

PLUS- his tenor sound is outta this world.You'll learn A LOT from him.
I'll be seeing him soon as we are life long friends and saxual maniacs. :lol:

Contact him at.. arniekrakowsky@yahoo.com

Buy his CD to- he's a great player.As hip as anyone you can think of.

[MattC]

When I was in high school and college I studied string bass with Dave Santoro, who often played with Bergonzi I watched them play on a weekly basis. If you can get lessons from Jerry, I would highly recomend it, not only is he the best (IMHO) he is one of the nicest men around and genuinly intersted in teaching and passing on what he knows.

Great player, great man - what more could you ask for from a teacher?

Matt

[larry]

I've been studying with Miles Donahue up in Lowell. If you can drive that far, he's a great teacher and peer of Jerry Bergonzi/Charlie Banacos and shares many of their approaches.

He doesn't focus too much on axe technique (he teaches sax, trumpet, piano, and guitar players) - it's mostly jazz theory and improvisation. I think others who know him on this forum will agree that he's a relatively undiscovered gem in the Boston jazz scene.

[Tim Price]

Miles Donahue has been an inspiration to me for 30 years.
I still look to his work for that essence...that vibe and knowledge.

Without a doubt, Miles is one of the most original players today.
I'd love to see him get more exposure.He deserves it.

[Mike Cesati]

I agree with the above posts .I got to study with both Jerry and Miles for quite a while.I can't say enough about either. If you want the straight truth Miles will give it to you. I can't remember leaving Miles's house very excited about my playing. But that is the thing you go to a critical teacher for. He points out your weaknesses and hits them head on. Miles has alot of good improv methods.He reminds me of a personal trainor who is in your face telling you MORE REPS, MORE REPS. His cycle of 4ths NEVER STOPS. LOL
Jerry, well he's the very best there is.His books have the methods he's developed.If you can get with him the info he can share with you is so vast. I personally enjoyed his lessons as he brought me from the very BEGINNING. I had very little happening when I got to his house in the early 80's. I thought he'd not keep me as a student I was so bad.He nurtured me through 2 1/2 years of study.Then over the years I've been able to have periodical sessions with him. When it comes to sound production Jerry knows SOOO Much.
I hope you can get with these guys.As Tim said Arnie is a monster too,I think I need to call him next. We are lucky up this way to have so many great teachers on any instrument.