Recently I started talking to Las Vegas based saxophonist Rob Mader, here are a few things he had to say about his saxophone playing.
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My tenor setup has been a Dave Gardala Michael Brecker Mark II mouthpiece that I have been playing for about 15 years. Van Doran V16 reeds and a Yamaha YTS-62 tenor. I haven’t changed a thing until this weekend. I’m trying out Yamaha Customs. They really slot better than my old 62. So far, I like it.
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I still play my Selmer mark VI alto and soprano but my Bari is a Yanigasawa.
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I started playing in 1984 as a junior on Hemet High School. I heard the big band and was knocked out! I had to do it. I spent two years at Fullerton College where I was offered a scholarship to UNLV. Once I made it to Vegas, I never left. My first “pro” gig in town was appropriately enough, an Elvis impersonator. I’ve been playing ever since and have been very fortunate.
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The players that influenced me? David Sanborn started it all. He floored me. His music led me to The Brecker Brothers and Michael, Tom Scott, Lenny Pickett, Kirk Whalum, Ernie Watts, Brandon Fields then on to Hank Crawford Cannonball, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins. I kind of learned about them in reverse order.
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I am particularly fond of players who respect the bop style but can use it effectively in a contemporary setting. Brecker was the master at that.
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These are the groups I’m currently playing with and they all have something that I look forward to. Santa Fe is probably the group I am most proud of, though. It is a great bunch of musicians and people.
Strangely, one of my favorite shows has been backing up Don Rickles. Contrary to his act, he is a very sweet man who treats the musicians very well. I love working for him because of the sense of history his show brings. Sinatra pretty much discovered him and I used to watch reruns of him on the Dick Van Dyke show. Being a part of his show was a source of pride for me. He is a link back to a by gone era.
Why do I play saxophone?
I can’t imagine not playing the saxophone. It’s been a part of me for so long now.
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