I read, in the booklet that comes with the beautiful "It's time" of Nick Brignola (Reservoir, recorded in the 1991) [where Nick plays the soprano, the alto, the tenor and obviously the baritone, but also the flutes (the C flute, the alto, and the piccolo) and the clarinets (the Bb clarinet, the alto and the bass)] that he was self tauhght :shock: (could you believe it?) and that he used a clarinet embrochure on alla the saxes. Since this seems odd :? to me, I want to ask if you know other saxophonists (and in particular baritonists) that use (or used) the "clarinet" embrochure.
Ciao,
Stefano
Brignola had to have had some lessons since he went to the Berklee College of Music where he was awarded the first scholarship. I refer you to: http://hardbop.tripod.com/brignola.html.
He was a strong player, no question. In the videos and pictures I have looked at Brignola does have what appears to be a saxophone embouchure. He does have his lower jaw back more than I like to see in my students and in my own playing. His playing angle also would not support a clarinet embouchure at all. The mouthpiece enters his mouth at an almost perfectly straight line. His chin is pointed down which I think is great and important on a clarinet, but not as important on Sax.
I feel that it is impossible to get a great sound on a saxophone with a fully formed clarinet embouchure. There are similarities, but there are huge differences. One must remember that the clarinet is not a saxophone and the saxophone is not a clarinet. From what I have observed of Brignola in pictures and on YouTube, I would say that he does not use a true Clarinet Embouchure.
Jimmy Guiffre appears to have used a much more clarinet type embouchure on saxophone. I think this is why he got a much lighter and less powerful saxophone sound on Baritone Sax than Mulligan, Carney, Adams or Payne got.
I do not know who wrote that booklet you mentioned, but I would like to know more about it.
Brignola may have thought of his embouchure as more clarinet like in some ways, but I think the photographic and video evidence show otherwise.
Thank you, jmathesonjr
I totally agree: I had the same impession looking at the videos of Nick (expecially when he takes a breath his embrochure seems a saxophono embrochure).
The autor of the disc notes seems to be Nick Brignola himself and there is also his signature at the end of the notes. I enclose a scan of part of the first page.
Let me know your impressions.
Stefano
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