Here is a new video featuring an interview with Trevor James artist, Andy Snitzer. In the video Andy talks about his beginnings with music, his influences, some of his most rewarding musical experiences, and his thoughts on his Trevor James Saxophone.
Video Transcription
I started playing saxophone at age 15, and prior to that I was a clarinet student from the age of 8, and a fairly serious one. So by age 14 I was a pretty good clarinet player, playing in the symphony and the concert band, what have you. At that time I began to notice saxophone performances in rock & pop music that I liked. David Bowie, David Sanborn playing with David Bowie’s Young Americans, and other things of the type.
At 15 somehow with a great deal of foresight I moved off of the clarinet and onto the saxophone, and that’s pretty much how it happened.
I heard David Sanborn play on Young Americans, David Bowie Track And that had a lot of impact. I heard other people on pop and rock records, Bobby Keys, Clarence Clemons, but somehow the sanborn thing spoke to me in a deeper way, a greater way. the first point of inspiration.
In the years subsequent to that I heard Michael Brecker play, I heard John Coltrane play, and began to be able to understand and marvel at the complex ways of playing with more content and more virtuosity. So the main points of inspiration, Dave Sanborn, John Coltrane, Mike Brecker.
My biggest musical influence…that’s a flexible idea and it changes throughout ones life, so, theres a saxophone vector to that question, and a non-saxophone answer to that question. Certainly on the saxophone side of that question; Mike, Coltrane, Sanborn, Cannonball, Stanley Turintine, those are the big ones.
Certainly working with some of my heros, getting affirmation and good feedback from my heroes, like hearing good things from Mike Brecker about my playing or hearing good things from David Sanborn about my playing. THose are moments that never get old so to speak. Recording a solo album, amazing experience. Recording a solo album that I actually think is good that, and I’m referring to one of my solo records. There’s one that I actually think is a good record meaning you can put it on, listen to it from beginning to end, the sequencing, the songs, actually sounds like one body of work.
Achieving that, I actually can’t believe that I did it..at least I think I did it as that’s an incredibly hard thing to do. But anyway to the broader question, there’s a lot of great experiences. Running down to the stage to play all the saxophone solos in Billy Joel’s book, at his concert. I’m not sure I could pick just one, I’m extremely fortunate. In the context of suggesting myself to a lot of critique, I’m happy when I can feel good about any particular thing because most of the time trying to get better and trying to practice harder, and trying to not be dissatisfied which is my normal state.
I play Trevor James Signature Custom Raw because I love the powerful, bright, direct sound on an unlacquered horn. These are well manufactured and well crafted instruments, and I like the idea that before the horn gets from the factory to me it gets a thorough lookover from a top professional. On balance I am extremely happy with the instrument and I recommend it to all my students and all my friends.