Saxophonist Evan Tate moved from the United States to Germany and has performed in many places around the world.  He also teaches saxophone.

(Neal) Q:When and how did you start playing saxophone?

(Evan) A: My father was a musician (pianist, arranger) and was frequently on tour. He picked up jazz albums every once in a while travelling and brought them home. One day, when I was 11 years old, he brought Thelonius Monk’s Greatest Hits, a compilation album. I got turned on right away to the tune “Little Rootie Tootie” and loved Phil Woods’ solo on it. I started playing saxophone at the age of 12, when I entered into junior high school. My first choice was alto saxophone and my second choice was tenor.

Q: Which players have influenced you?

Aside from that solo from Phil Woods, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, then later Steve Grossman, Micheal Brecker, Dave Sanborn, Maceo Parker, Steve Coleman, and more.

Q: What kind of band are you playing with now?

A:I have now a “classic” jazz quartet. We play my compositions which range from through-composed experimental stuff, tunes based on standards, and re-arrangements of a couple of standards in odd meters.

In past years, I’ve had a trio with just drums and bass, and also type of fusion band with bass/e-bass, guitar and keyboards, along side the drums and myself.

Q: What have your favorite shows to play been?

A: I like playing in Austria and Switzerland along with performances in Germany. We may be performing in China in the future. Conditions and arrangements are still being discussed.

Q: What horn are you playing and what horns have you played before?

A: I’m playing Julius Keilwerth SX90R Black Nickel Alto sax. I’ve had black pads placed in my horn, not merely for cosmetic reasons, but the pads don’t stick as much as the normal brown pads. I formerly played a Selmer Mark VI (1957) alto. I still have it and it’s still a great horn. Sleek and elegant. It was my first real horn. I got that when I was 15.

I’m also playing a Keilwerth SX90 Soprano sax, nickel-plated, gold lacquer. Keilwerth doesn’t make this combination anymore (nickel-plated, gold lacquer) for their sopranos. I had it especially ordered because of the sound. I had also played a Selmer Mark VI soprano, but I unfortunately didn’t get a good one. I was in college then. I was buying the horn on lay-away from a dealer in Virginia at the time. By the time I had it paid off and had it in my hands, I really didn’t have much experience with buying a horn. I was never really satisfied with it. I tried many others, but I wasn’t really ready to switch though. After holding the Keilwerth in my hands, I knew right away that that was the horn I wanted to play.

Q: What’s the story of your first ebook on saxophone?

A: Well, the very first ebook was the “Way To Mastery Workout Book”. That was actually a product (as also my 2 CDROMs) of the Saxophone Workshops I’ve done in cooperation with Julius Keilwerth. I had always gotten good feedback from the workshops and handed out materials for free. Eventually people started emailing me with questions. So, I figured I would compile most of the exercises/techniques into a book and make it available for sale.

Q: What is the goal of the books on saxophone that you have written?

A: Well, on the side of jazz improvisation, I want to offer an alternative method to the “Chord/Scale Theory” of improvisation and spread the technique of “Jazz Etudes/ Improv Etudes” that I originally learned from Steve Grossman, as a more effective approach to learning improvisation or improving what one has built on already, and accelerating your learning.

Q: Why do you play saxophone?

A: It’s the voice of choice for me. It is with this instrument that I hear myself expressing my best ideas and influences. I play flute and clarinet as well, but the sax is that instrument that has become part of my body. I have the most intimate relationship with it.