Gearhead: The Conn-O-Sax
It was the peak of the Roaring Twenties, and a great time to sell saxophones. More than a million of the instruments were already in … Read More “Gearhead: The Conn-O-Sax”
Reviews
Gearhead: Appreciating The Optigan 50 Years Later
These days, if you’ve got the right apps, you can recreate the sound of just about any instrument on earth. In the early 1970s, when … Read More “Gearhead: Appreciating The Optigan 50 Years Later”
Gearhead: NAMM 2021 Goes Virtual
As veteran JazzTimes followers know, every year around now we present a report on the annual National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim, … Read More “Gearhead: NAMM 2021 Goes Virtual”
Gearhead: The Roland TR-808 at 40
The Roland corporation of Japan only manufactured its TR-808 Rhythm Composer drum machine for three years, from 1980 to 1983, but that short time was … Read More “Gearhead: The Roland TR-808 at 40”
Gearhead: Baldwin’s Fun Machine, and Others
The world has seen quite a few peculiar electronic keyboard instruments over the years, especially from the era before digital technology. Some, like the Mellotron, … Read More “Gearhead: Baldwin’s Fun Machine, and Others”
Gearhead: Harry Partch and the Quadrangularis Reversum
The American composer and inventor Harry Partch (1901-1974) had lots of unusual ideas. Dissatisfied with the sounds that Western music could offer, he became interested … Read More “Gearhead: Harry Partch and the Quadrangularis Reversum”
Gearhead: Memories of the Guitorgan
In the Artist’s Choice section of our September issue, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Georgia Anne Muldrow made a comment that kicked my nostalgia circuits into high gear. She … Read More “Gearhead: Memories of the Guitorgan”
Gearhead: A Brief History of the Grafton Saxophone
Music technology changed a lot after World War II. Postwar introductions included the solidbody electric guitar, electric bass, seven-inch single, multitrack tape, transistors, and much … Read More “Gearhead: A Brief History of the Grafton Saxophone”
Gearhead: Ralph Towner’s Acoustic Arsenal
In 1940, the jazz establishment was just coming to recognize the potential of the electric guitar as a lead instrument. After joining Benny Goodman’s orchestra … Read More “Gearhead: Ralph Towner’s Acoustic Arsenal”
How Rahsaan Roland Kirk Modified Jazz
“Manzello & Stritch” sounds like the title of a ’70s cop show, but in the hands of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, these unusual variations on the … Read More “How Rahsaan Roland Kirk Modified Jazz”