1959 buescher aristocrat tenor saxophone

When I saw him to buy the sax from him he was full of stories about people he had played with and had obviously had a very happy life in music. When the 1960's brought the end of the resident bands he carried on playing and teaching until he was about 80. The big bands often did one-nighters there and on one occasion the Aristo was played by J.Dankworth, and on another night by someone in the Ted Heath Orch. My wife and I saw and heard him many times, never thinking that one day I would be playing his horn.

A few years later he became the youngest resident major dance hall band leader in the country. He bought it new in 1941, from a dealer in Blackpool, as he graduated from music college. I bought it five years ago from a retired pro who had used it through his entire carreer. I suppose I'm lucky in that I know the history of my 1939 Buescher Aristocrat. My bari is a Yani B901, bought new by me about 10 years ago, so I know exactly what it has been doing and as it has faithfully delivered the goods in big band, quartet, sax choir and funk bands, I see no reason the change it. My Mark VI sop is about 1980 and came from a player in Scotland though I have no idea of its history. My Mark VI tenor is 1969 and could pass as a new horn although the shop I got it from said it had been owned by a pro since new. Again, it has been well-played but not abused, obviously done a lot of gig though. The other one I got more recently from Germany and that one is about 1965. My daughter uses that one and it got her through her RNCM audition. I reckon the person I bought it from must have inherited it as he had no idea about it but obviously it has some serious playing on the clock. What an interesting idea! we have two Mark VI altos the first I bought from Italy via eBay and it is about a 1968 vintage and came in the original case and Soloist and metal Classic mouthpieces along with stacks of old reeds and other accessories. Thirty-five years later there's barely any lacquer left, a lot of metal and pearl have been worn away, it's been once stolen and made its way back to me, has shared all of my dreams and aspirations, and holds a place in my heart that is second only to the places held by my family members. It had a gorgeous coating of dark gold lacquer on it when I got it - after all, it had been largely sitting in a closet for the first 10 years of its life. I play a Mark VI tenor, and have for over 35 years, that is almost as old as the one you're playing. You're carrying the torch, so to speak, my young friend. You have to step up to the plate and add to its story by pouring your heart and soul into this instrument. You're carrying the weight of a lot of responsibility here, Jake! Like you mentioned, that horn has been around since the days of Trane, and was made in the hey-day (in my opinion) of the Mark VI's.

1959 buescher aristocrat tenor saxophone