Back in 2016, John Ellis had just done a recording session where Joe Lovano was also featured. John was already playing one of our early KB Sax necks and talked with Joe about these handmade necks at that session.
A few days later, Joe and I were in contact and I met him at a recording studio in Midtown. I had brought a few different necks and Joe very quickly focused in on the one he liked best. We discussed the option of making him a neck for his SBA with a special angle and I got all the measurements needed that day.
Three weeks later, he was playing at Birdland and I gave him the neck I had just finished for him. He put it on his horn and played for half a minute, raised his eye brows and exclaimed “I love it!” He went straight onstage and played the neck from then on.
The Redwood Hand Hammered Copper has been his neck of choice and I custom made them with the special “Lovano angle” for both his Borgani tenors as well as his two silver plated SBA tenors.
Visiting him at his and Judy’s home and meeting him at clubs, getting invaluable feedback on the necks has always been such a treat and deeply enriching both in terms of helping developing these saxophone necks but also at a personal level since Joe has been one of my biggest musical inspirations for more than 3 decades.
More blogs
Jerry Bergonzi: The Mentor, inspiration and deep awareness
One day back in 1991, when I was still living in Denmark, my friend and mentor Robin Watson (UK expat & great saxplayer) called me and insisted I go hear this sax player coming to town that night. I had never heard of Jerry Bergonzi before but trusted my friends … Read more
Do I need a new saxophone neck?
Maybe not! You might have just the right neck for your horn and for what you are looking for in terms of sound and response. However, there are a number of situations where you might consider trying a new neck. 1: You current neck has been damaged, possibly beyond repair. … Read more