Overstock Music Sale
After much thought, I’ve decided to cease operation of JVickersMusic.com. I enjoyed helping people locate music, but in the end, I became too busy to continue this endeavor. I have the following music left, and I’m offering it on a first come/first serve basis.
If you are interested, send an email to me at jeffvickers(at)hotmail.com and tell me what you’re interested in. I will invoice you through Paypal and ship the music as soon as payment is made. The prices below represent mostly 15% discounts from other online retailers. I will update this list after each transaction, so it should remain fairly current.
Again, email jeffvickers(at)hotmail.com to request any items listed below. I will use USPS Priority Flat Rate for shipment unless you ask otherwise. Thank you!
| Absil | 5 Easy Pieces for alto sax | $23.00 |
| Jeanjean | Quatuor | $31.50 |
| Piazzolla | Histoire du Tango (qtet version) | $50.00 |
| Rascher | Top Tones | $10.90 |
| Tanada | Mysterious Morning III (sop) | $21.00 |
| Villa-Lobos | Fantasia (for soprano or tenor) | $15.00 |
Commissions update: Michans
Somehow, with everything going on with Robert Lemay visiting NASA, my recording project, the Gotkovsky consortium and my recent Europe trip, I neglected to mention that Carlos Michans was awarded a support grant by The Fund at the Hague in the Netherlands. I asked Carlos to write a new piece for me for tenor and piano, which will hopefully be premiered at the World Sax Congress in Scotland. Carlos is a really great composer, Argentinian by birth, but living in Amsterdam. I’ve performed his Quartet #1 and Musique for alto sax, and I’m also somewhat familiar with another of his pieces. This is an exciting milestone in my Contemporary Tenor Repertoire Initiative, funded by a foreign government!
CD Fundraiser
What’s up peeps? Hey, I’m trying to get the word out there. I’m basically pre-selling my cds to try to generate some extra capital. The CD will be available by the beginning of October, unless there are some unforeseen issues.
Here’s a link to my fundraiser. I need your help, please spread the word. I’ve received lots of positive feedback about the selections, and it will be a legit studio recording – not something I did in my garage! Be awesome and help out a fellow musician – just looking for pre-orders. You can select either a download option or physical CD once they’re replicated. Thanks a bunch, send me feedback if you want. Peace! ~JV
New Consortium! Leszczynski!
Saxophonist/composer and I have established a new consortium to help him create a new piece for soprano saxophone and piano. We invite anyone interested to view the Kickstarter project page – linked below. The deadline for support is May 1, 2011. Please consider helping this young composer in his endeavors.
Vickers 12* Commandments
(Updated 3/16/11) I thought I’d put these in print for my students to laugh at – but numbering them like Gibbs’ laws (NCIS) seems like a good idea…
- Thou shalt not roll from bis to B natural.
1a) Except when doing funky altissimo passages. Then maybe it’s ok, depending on the preceding and subsequent notes. - Thou shalt not add side C to bis.
- Thou shalt not double cross-finger.
- Thou shalt not just sit on a middle D without adding low B key.
- Honor thy Mule and thy Ferling.
- Thou shalt NOT Muczynski Concerto. Period, don’t ask.
- Remember Dr. Beat, for it is holy.
- Thou shalt have no other instruments before saxophone.
- What happens on the saxo-trip, stays on the saxo-trip.
- When in doubt, blame Duane Torres.
- Thou shalt not bear false witness to thy practice session.
- Thou shalt not stand the bari sax upright in its case (again, Duane Torres).
So let it be written, so let it be done.
Looking at “Clouds”
I haven’t blogged anything recently, but hopefully my activity will increase drastically in the next few months. «Clouds» is the 17th étude by Christian Lauba. Dedicated to Nicolas Prost, Nico and I swapped music this past week. I sent him a copy of «Arak», and he scanned in the solo part for «Clouds». The piece is for alto sax and cd accompaniment – and it is actually a new melody/sax part on top of a pre-existing synthesizer piece by Lauba called «Mist». The synth part can be heard on my friend Richard Ducros’ cd of Lauba music, entitled «Hard».
Once I’ve had a chance to sit down and work through it, I’ll write more. But, along with «Stan» (11th étude), this is the 2nd piece Lauba has written to use cd accompaniment.
New Music! Kerger & Lemay
One of the coolest things for musicians is the arrival of new music. Today I received email attachments from TWO different composers – commissions for tenor sax and piano! We are slowly helping build a needed repertory.
The first piece will be premiered on January 8 at the US Navy Sax Symposium. Foreboding by Camille Kerger (Luxembourg) is a two-movement composition for tenor and piano. The second piece will be premiered at the NASA regional convention at Sam Houston St this coming April. It is entitled Intimate Echoes by Robert Lemay (Canada). It appears to be a tour-de-force for tenor sax, and I can’t wait to dig into this music.
Both of these fantastic composers have numerous works for saxophone. I performed Kerger’s Schneelicht – bebend weiss for sax quartet (it begins with 4 sopranos) in Georgia last year, and it’s amazing. He also has a great piece for solo soprano called Wish. Lemay’s ouvre for saxophone is more numerous, and all of which I am aware are great, quality and idiomatic works. It’s obvious that he understands and cares about writing for saxophone. I highly recommend his 5 Etudes for advanced saxos, published by Fuzeau.
Thank you to both of my friends – your efforts are greatly appreciated!
New Artist Relationship
As of today, I am now an artist for Rico Reed products! I’ve been playing their soprano sax Reserve reeds, strength 3.5, for over a month. They are the most responsive reeds that I’ve ever played on soprano. Rico is also launching a new line of alto reeds this week, called “Classics.” They’re even producing an ‘in-between’ size of 3.0+ (about 3.25…) and I’ve had my hands on some trials. They’re also fantastic! The tenor reeds play a little softer for me, so I’m playing 3.5’s (whereas I was playing 3’s, sometimes 3.5’s on Vandoren).
So, things are happening. Future appearances may now be partially sponsored by Rico/D’Addario!
