Help! Honker needs Mulligan sound

[Carter]

Hello, my name is Carter, and I'm a sax honker. :)

No, really, I could use a little advice. A Mulligan/Baker tribute project I have long dreamed of has lately started to look like it might actually happen. As most of you know, the old Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker produced some excellent and lasting examples of West Coast jazz, very intracately arranged and dependent on the tonal interplay between Mulligan's wonderful full upper register and Baker's textured midrange-y trumpet. The idea is to play the arrangements very close to the original sound, with room for a little stretching out in the choruses.

OK, here's the problem. I've never been a jazz player, just rock & R&B. My bari set up is wide open, a Quantum Spoiler #12 on an old Big B. Same on tenor, Honkety-honk. Not really transferrable to Mulligan. I acquired an MC Gregory Hollywood Master 5-20 big barrel, and am really struggling adjusting to its much different size and opening. The Gregory also doesn't seem to like the Big B very much, although I'm sure that's more a product of the driver rather than the car.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a more modern mpc that will help approximate the early 50s Mulligan sound? On a Big B?

At least until Santa Claus brings that perfect Conn Transitional, anyway. :D

[MonchMan]

I would try a Runyon Custom

[mark_m]

Another contemporary piece to try might be a Lamberson FMaj7. Nice big dark sound... Obviously you'll need to try various pieces and see what works for you. I'm sure someone here can tell you exactly what GM played on, but that doesn't mean you'll sound the same on that setup by any means...

[MonchMan]

Mulligan's set up was:

Instrument
Goldplated Conn #M189k, or silver-plated Conn #226k Baritone Saxophone

Mouthpiece
Gale Hollywood 5M

[Dr G]

For a modern bari mouthpiece with a lot of character, I really enjoy Ron Coelho's .105". Contact him via his website at www.saxmpc.com for his e-address and phone number. Stay away from the radical stuff - you don't need no stinkin' baffles. What you do need (after a good mouthpiece) is a lot of listening.

The sound has to be in your head before it can come out of your horn.

[Carter]

Thanks for all the replies. Might try a Jody Jazz, which I understand is a modified Custom. I'll probably try a couple. One of the problems with a modern piece could be tuning, as my Quantum hangs on the tiniest piece of cork possible at the extreme end of the Big B's neck. Runyon's web site says the Custom is an old design, so maybe that will help.

I read (I think on the former board!) that Mulligan played an MC Gregory Gale Hollywood 5M 18, and the Gregory I got was an attempt to get close to the same model.

My wish list horn is a silver Tranny like the one you see in all the photographs of Mulligan during the Quartet w/ Chet Baker days in '52 and '53.

[MonchMan]

I have a Conn 12M, and I fought with several from JJ Q, STM Link and several others. Well Paul Coats suggested a Custom and it was good, but it covered only 1/4 inch of the cork to be in tune. Well after speaking to several Repair people on the web and else where, They all suggested to check the fit of the neck tenon, I had stripped out the thumb screw awhile ago, and after I had that tighten and fitted correctly, I could bring the entire horn in tune top to bottom with the Custom pushed on 3/4 of an inch on the cork. I was thrilled.

That was a long ramble to say that the neck tenon should checked for a tight, smooth fit. A slight leak there, really messes with the tuning.

[mark_m]

That's very interesting, haven't heard that story before. I sold my JJ because it hung onto only 1/4" on my The Martin bari, much as I liked the way it played. Let us know if you find a JJ to play in tune any farther on the neck.

I think the vintage large chamber is a good starting place; I'm looking for one, also interested in trying a Morgan bari piece.

[Dr G]

It's the classic case of chamber volume necessary to match the taper of an older horn's geometry. If the JJ really floats your boat but doesn't tune well on a vintage horn, you should ask your mouthpiece tech to expand the volume of the chamber.

I don't understand why the fit of the neck tenon (not "tendon" - that's another body's part) should have a profound effect, although a poor fitting tenon should be corrected regardless.