| Fall 2011 We are pleased to announce our latest endorser, Baritone Saxophone great Bruce Johnstone, who for 10 years was voted #3 in DownBeat's Reader's Poll (only behind Gerry Mulligan and Pepper Adams) and who came on the jazz scene in a big way through his work in Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman's big bands. You will find more about him here on our website.  Bruce Johnstone Alexander World Artists in the News Again! Summer 2010: A Big Year For Joe...  Since Saxophone titan and Alexander World Artist Joe Lovano became the first great player to join us, we have seen his meteor shooting higher and higher in the world of music and we are jazzed to see him take Down Beat Magazine's prestigious "Triple Crown" for Tenor Saxophonist, Jazz Artist of the Year, and Jazz Group in their 58th 2010 Critic's Poll issue! To win in these three areas (and come in a very close 2nd in the Jazz Album category) is extraordinary when considering that the "Triple Crown" covers all jazz musicians, a rare honor which is not attained every year. It is the mark of a very special artist to be be involved in so many diverse projects and contribute to the jazz scene the way Joe Lovoano has on a consistent basis. We are both thrilled and honored to see Joe receive this stellar recognition and to know our reeds have been at the core his distinctive sound for over a decade. Top U.S.A. Arts Awards... 
It is with great pleasure to learn that with the announcement of the National Endowment for the Arts 2011 Jazz Masters Awards, our World Artist David Liebman has been named. These awards are the highest honors the United States Government can bestow in all of the arts and we are delighted our long term World Artist friend has won this distinguished prize. It is truly deserved as the long body of his work attests. Dave is true master of the saxophone and fearless in his musical convictions, continually blazing forward in his quest to further the art of jazz. These are precious awards; less than 120 have been granted since the founding of the program. Considering how powerful and far reaching the influence of this illustrious musician has been, not only as a player but an educators of great wisdom, we are elated that the Government has given him his due because he is truly an ambassador of the art form created in America. Alexander Welcomes New Friends. (April 2010) We are proud to announce 2 great saxophonists who have recently joined us as Friends. Both active on the New York music scene, we welcome former Elvin Jones front man Gregory Tardy and saxophone veteran Lew Del Gatto. Both of these wonderful players have long credits and experience in the music business and we welcome them to our family. Alexander World Artist Greg Osby Takes Jazz Award... Greg Osby has just won the 2009 Playboy Jazz Artist of the Year Award. We congratulate Greg on receiving this prestigious prize which just reconfirms his importance as a leading edge saxophonist on the jazz scene.  Alexander World Artists' on N Y The following Alexander World Artists have now switched to Alexander N Y ; Joe Lovano : NY 3 1/2 & 4 on Tenor, NY 3 1/2 Soprano & Alto Branford Marsalis: NY 3 1/2 on Tenor Joshua Redman : NY Soprano & Alto 3 1/2, NY Tenor 4 Seamus Blake : NY Soprano & NY Tenor 3 1/2 Harry Sokal : Ny Soprano 3 & NY Tenor 2 1/2 Joe Lovano also had the following comments about them; "Just like New York City, Alexander NY Reeds are a cut above! These reeds give me the power and flexibility I need to be as expressive as possible in all ranges of my horn and musical settings." Alexander Artists at the Grammys! We congratulate World Artists Joe Lovano (Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Kids: Live At Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola with Hank Jones), Joshua Redman (Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Back East), and new Friends Endorser Frank Macchia for their nominations to the 50th Grammy Awards List. The Birth of a New Reed, Alexander N Y  After years of comprehensive planning and intensive testing of prototypes, work on our new reed Alexander N Y has finally been completed and it is now in production! I first started to conceive of the this new model after long and detailed conversations and correspondence with the late, great Jazz legend Michael Brecker in the late 1990's. After many years of work via testing of prototypes and feedback from him, as well as live performance and comments from some of our World Artists, I felt it was finally ready for release. What I was after was a reed which captured the "sound of NY", one I remember from childhood after living and hearing live music there. Combined with this concept were some invaluable suggestions from my gracious friend and putting this all together, I hoped to produce a reed with a bit more power and projection, designed for burning solos or modern section work which might also call for more playing in the upper registers. From the very positive responses we received from several of our top endorsers, some of who have actually been using N Y in performance for many months now, we feel that we've added a new color to our tonal universe. This reed, with its redesigned tip and vamp, delivers a big, bold and distinctive tone with an enhanced upper register, a response different from our other models to date. While we don't view it as a replacement for them, it is however a new tonal choice we hope you will find as exciting and compelling as we and our players have. We welcome you to try our new creation, Alexander N Y. Tom Alexander Tokyo, Oct. 2007 A legend in his own time, Ornette Coleman joins the Alexander Reeds Family!: March 2007; Considered by the BBC and other critics to be one of the five great innovators in jazz history after Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, it is a great honor to announce that the revolutionary saxophonist and composer, Ornette Coleman, has just become our latest World Artist. On top of the many other awards Mr. Coleman has already won, we congratulate him on 3 of the highest in the Arts which have also been bestowed on him so far in 2007; a Grammy Nomination for his latest CD Sound Grammar, a Lifetime Grammy Achievement Award , and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize also for Sound Grammar, Mr. Coleman being only the second jazz musician in history to win this distinguished honor.  Joe Lovano releases new CD and and accompanying video scrapbook! :  Joe Lovano has done it again, recorded a CD of music that adds another gem to his unique treasure chest of sound; Streams of Expression . This beautifully conceived and executed CD features Joe reunited with Gunther Schuller (their first collaboration was Rush Hour, Blue Note, 1995) along with an all star ensemble of players, and it will be formally released as his 17th Blue Note Record on August 1, 2006. This work is also accompanied by a very cool video scrapbook which will give you an insight into Joe's vision for the creation of this CD and all I can tell you from seeing it myself is that you'll want to hear more!! Congratulations to one of the first and unwavering believers in our reeds, the great Joe Lovano, who continues to honor us by playing them in his latest work of art and passion. Joshua Redman joins the Alexander Reeds family! : We are proud to announce that the celebrated saxophonist Joshua Redman has now joined us as a World Artist. Naturally it is an honor to have one of the leading proponents in jazz with us now and if you have the fortunate chance to hear him live or in recent recordings you will be treated to a wonderful new sound and feel, with the personal stamp Joshua puts on everything he plays. Shipping
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Alexander Reeds Expanding! |