Tenor Sax

Tenor Sax

Key of B Flat Lacquer Plated Hardshell velvet lined case Extra Screw Driver, nipper Extra A pair of gloves, Soft Cleaning Cloth

Lenny Pickett is best known as the tenor saxophonist of the Saturday Night Live Band, he is one of the virtuosos of altissimo saxophone. The altissimo register is a technique that almost seems like a requirement for saxophonists today. It’s based on harmonics and enables you to achieve notes above the normal range of the saxophone.

For example, it is possible to finger a low Bb (the lowest note on the instrument) and by altering the embouchure and air stream to blow the full overtone series of the low Bb (middle Bb, middle F, high Bb, high D, high F, and so on.) This technique may be heard distinctly in the well known opening theme to Saturday Night Live.

Lenny passes says this regarding his equipment, in response to numerous inquiries: “I play a Selmer Paris Mark VI tenor (circa 1970) with a Berg Larsen 130 over 0 (SMS) mouthpiece and a number 3 Vandoren (blue box) bass clarinet reed.”

Pickett, born in New Mexico in 1954, is capable not only with saxophone, but also on flute and clarinet. After dropping out of high school in Berkeley, he expended a brief amount of time studying underneath Bert Wilson, but amazingly, other than that instruction is altogether self taught on the saxophone. Not viewed as a established jazz player, he is best showcased in short bursts of color bringing the life of his horn to center stage in R&B and rock arrangements. He is well known for his funky style, and his capacity to make the sax “scream.”

Pickett played with the Tower of Power horns from 1972 to 1981, and toured the world with them. Tower of Power still tours broad today, though without Pickett. They freed multiple Top 100 albums over the course of Pickett’s career with them. Tower of Power played in numerous styles, from soul to funk to disco, and Pickett’s virtuoso playing felt at home in all of them.

Tower of Power’s horns division has performed with a potpourri of other artists including Santana, Heart, Poison, Phish, and more. He has since performed live and recorded with Rod Stewart, Elton John, Little Feat, Peter Gordon’s Love of Life Orchestra, Doc Kupka’s Strokeland Superband, and galore rock and jazz albums and film and television soundtracks. Pickett’s management’s bio describes his music as “polyphonic extravaganzas which manage to touch base with r&b, funk, swing, Latin influence and the avant-garde; horn lines twist around one another, shifting and building in intensity.”

He has worked as a saxophonist and arranger for David Bowie, the Talking heads, and Laurie Anderson. As a composer he has been commissioned to write works mixing classical and standard ideas for a assortment of ensembles including the New Century Saxophone Quartet. Due to his strange and wild self taught style, his proficiencies are endlessly discussed on Internet forums, where players speculate on his fingering, whether or not he’s using double or triple tounging, often times asking each other “What is Pickett doing?!??!”

He is presently a professor of jazz saxophone for New York University.

Tenor Sax Photo

Tenor Sax Picture

Tenor Sax Pic

Tenor Sax Image

Most helpful client reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
Great Sax for a outstanding price
By J. P. Kearney
I tried a good deal of Tenor Saxophones before choosing this one. I tried Buffets, Selmers & others that were hundreds if not thousands of $$$ more and I found this Merano Sax to be the best. The sounds reminds me of a Yamaha Sax, bright & punchy. The notes bend beautifully. I’ve gotten so a great deal of wondrous sounds out of this horn & have genuinely maltreated it playing live. My bandmates are thrilled that we have added this to our set up. I like it so much I went back and purchased a Cello from crystalcello as well (which is likewise excellent) Great Tenor Sax !!! Thank you

10 of 11 humans found the following review helpful.
great horn and great service
By W. Matthew Seward II
Solid horn in particular for the price range!!! Great service… They don’t have a phone number, but if you contact them by way of email, they will get back to you the same day.

Intonation difficultnesses on a few notes, but not one thing I wouldn’t suppose from a Tenor that’s less than 300$… The keys feel good, the corks are great, pads are nice… As long as you take care of this horn, it will take care of you.
I would definately buy again.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Great horn for a little price
By Vinicio Garcia
The sax arrived on time and was checked by a professional sax player and stated that the sound and ease of play could be equated to a much higher priced sax.

See all 7 client reviews…