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Michael Brecker

Insane Michael Brecker Invitation Tenor Sax Solo Transcription from the Jaco Birthday Concert

December 15, 2022 by Steve 8 Comments

Here’s another great Michael Brecker tenor saxophone solo transcription I am excited to share with everyone. This is a transcription of Michael Brecker’s insane tenor sax solo on the jazz standard, “Invitation” from the Jaco Pastorius’ album “The Birthday Concert” (this is not the Invitation solo from Jack Wilkins album “Merge”).  The Jaco Pastorius “Birthday […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Birthday Concert, Invitation, Jaco Pastorius, jazz sax, Michael Brecker, tenor saxophone, transcription

Will the Real Michael Brecker’s Sax Mouthpiece Please Stand Up?

February 2, 2022 by Steve 72 Comments

I wanted to write a blog post on this subject because there has been a lot of discussion and confusion over the years about the Guardala tenor saxophone mouthpiece that Michael Brecker played on.    I started a discussion on this subject on Facebook but thought it would be good to post what I discovered […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Guardala, Michael Brecker, saxophone mouthpiece, tenor sax

Michael Brecker Act Natural Tenor Sax Solo Transcription

January 26, 2021 by Steve 12 Comments

Here’s another great Michael Brecker tenor sax solo transcription I am excited to share with everyone. This transcription has been available out there on the internet for many years now, so I have never posted my transcription here on my site, but I kind of wanted to now for sentimental reasons. This transcription includes the […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Act Natural, Don Grolnick, Hearts and Numbers, jazz sax, Michael Brecker, tenor saxophone, transcription

Michael Brecker Tenor Sax Solo Transcription-The Melody Still Lingers On (A Night in Tunisia)-Chaka Kahn

January 26, 2021 by Steve 7 Comments

About five years ago, I started working on a transcription of an incredible solo by Michael Brecker over “A Night in Tunisia” (Chaka Kahn calls it “The Melody Still Lingers On”). This is from a video on Youtube of Chaka Kahn performing a great version of this tune in 1981.  This is classic early eighties […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Chaka Kahn, jazz sax, Magnus Bakken, Melody Lingers On, Michael Brecker, Night in Tunisia, tenor saxophone, transcription

Whoa!! Michael Brecker Performing on a Hard Rubber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece!!

June 5, 2020 by Steve 36 Comments

I wanted to share this interesting video I found on Facebook this morning that was shared by Louis Gerrits who runs the website michaelbreckerliverecordings.com which is a website dedicated to the great tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker who passed away in 2007. *Louis was also kind enough to share the Michael Brecker photos in this article […]

Filed Under: Jazz Videos, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Guardala, hard rubber, Michael Brecker, otto link, saxophone mouthpiece, slant signature, tenor sax

Michael Brecker New York Minute Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription

June 3, 2020 by Steve 1 Comment

I have a treat for all of you!  A couple of weeks ago,  I discovered a new sax player on Facebook who was posting killer transcriptions on Youtube. His name is Dimitrii Sergheev from Moldova.  Dimitrii caught my attention because we seem to have the exact same tastes in great tenor sax solos that need […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Herbie Hancock, jazz sax, Michael Brecker, New Standard, New York Minute, solo, tenor saxophone, transcription

Michael Brecker Scarborough Fair Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription

May 28, 2020 by Steve Leave a Comment

I have a treat for all of you!  A couple of weeks ago,  I discovered a new sax player on Facebook who was posting killer transcriptions on Youtube. His name is Dimitrii Sergheev from Moldova.  Dimitrii caught my attention because we seem to have the exact same tastes in great tenor sax solos that need […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Herbie Hancock, jazz sax, Michael Brecker, New Standard, Scarborough Fair, solo, tenor saxophone, transcription

Saxscape Downtown MB1 Slim Profile Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

December 28, 2019 by Steve 18 Comments

Today, I am reviewing a Saxscape Downtown MB1 8* (.115) slim profile tenor saxophone mouthpiece that Ken Barry at Saxscape mouthpieces recently sent me to try out and perhaps review.  Earlier this year, I reviewed a Saxscape Live model tenor sax mouthpiece as well as a Saxscape Fat Cat model tenor saxophone mouthpiece that I […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: downtown, Ken Barry, MB1, Michael Brecker, mouthpiece, review, sax, Saxscape, slim profile, tenor saxophone

Video Tour of The Michael Brecker Archive at William Paterson University

June 24, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

Louis Gerrits creator of the site michaelbreckerliverecordings.com posted a link to a video tour of the Living Jazz Archives at William Paterson University which includes the Michael Brecker Archive on Facebook this morning.   I posted about this great archive in the past here: Michael Brecker Archive Article. The Michael Brecker part of the video tour […]

Filed Under: Jazz Videos Tagged With: archive, Dave Demsey, jazz sax, living jazz, Michael Brecker, tenor saxophone, video tour, William Paterson University

New! Michael Brecker’s Alternate Fingering Lessons Area

March 22, 2019 by Steve Leave a Comment

You might have noticed that I have been quiet here at neffmusic.com over the last few weeks.  The reason is that I started a new lesson series on my site for members focused on the alternate fingering licks of Michael Brecker.  I have been working diligently (my wife describes it more as obsessed…..) behind the […]

Filed Under: Learning at Neffmusic Tagged With: altered fingerings, false fingerings, lesson, Michael Brecker, overtones, saxophone, voicing

Michael Brecker International Saxophone Competition

February 7, 2019 by Steve 1 Comment

I was recently informed about this new competition by Brian Plautz and Susan Brecker and thought I would pass on the information here on the site.  If you are an aspiring saxophonist between the ages of 16-30, are a citizen of the world (no extraterrestrials) and can burn it up on the saxophone, then this […]

Filed Under: Jazz Education, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: International, Michael Brecker, saxophone competition

Guardala Mouthpiece Informative Brochures From 1990

December 21, 2018 by Steve 10 Comments

A friend of mine on Facebook, Adrian Chia, posted  these pictures of hardcopy Guardala mouthpiece brochures that he received from Dave Guardala in the mail back in 1990.  Dave was living in Hicksville NY at the time and working out of his garage from what I have heard.  If only I had a time machine……………  […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: 1990, Dave Guardala, informative brochures, Michael Brecker, sax mouthpiece

The Michael Brecker Archive at William Paterson University

October 15, 2018 by Steve 5 Comments

Dr. David Demsey at William Paterson University contacted me a few years ago to tell me about the “Living Jazz Archives” that the University was building and how they were adding a Michael Brecker Archive to the already existing archives that they already had.   The Living Jazz Archives are: A TEACHING TOOL for William Paterson University […]

Filed Under: Jazz Education Tagged With: archive, David Demsey, Improvisation, jazz sax, Michael Brecker, tenor saxophone, William Paterson University

The Art of Imitation-Michael Brecker on Peep

October 11, 2018 by Steve 14 Comments

Someone on SOTW (Sax on the Web) posted a video this morning of Michael Brecker soloing over his tune Peep from the early 90’s. Peep was a Brecker tune from the album “Now You See It… (Now You Don’t) that blew my mind when it was released in 1990.   I was a young Brecker head […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: imitation, Improvisation, jazz sax, Michael Brecker, Peep, tenor saxophone

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Testimonials

Absolutely the best learning experience in my 40 years of playing.These books are awesome!!
Alfred LaBella
Steve really changed my way of practicing: I got a whole lot of new ideas for my playing the tenor.  His lessons are really helpful, give a lot stuff to practice and give clear answers to complicated stuff.  Steve has a lot of humor and I wish I had laughed so much in my former days with the horn.  All topics, from Blues to Approach note are dealt with clearness that wet ones appetite to play and practice that great ideas.
Uwe
Just wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you for being you, your playing, your website and your desire to help others. I’m a professional musician in the US Army and I’ve visited your website almost every day since discovering it a couple of months ago. Your lessons are profound and easy to use. I’ve purchased most of your PDF books and now am starting to delve more into the video and audio lessons.  Thank you for being a great resource!
James

Steve,

I have played for many years and have enjoyed going “back to the basics” in some of your lessons!  You have such a gift for explaining concepts.  As I have gotten older, some of the basic things have gotten muddled because I just play, not knowing why.  As I refresh myself with “why”, it increases my confidence and expands my playing.  Thank you so much for using your gift!  You are a blessing!

Julia

I must say again how much I appreciate all your material. Including the video tutorials. It help keep me focused and knowing what to aim for. And your laid back teaching style appeals to me too. 

Thanks

P

P
I just started looking at my lessons and I have to say, dude you are awesome.  I ABSOLUTELY will learn from you!  I started the tenor about 1 ½ yrs ago and have since picked up an alto, and more recently a soprano.  I spend most of the time on the tenor, followed by soprano, and have only gotten to the alto a few times.  I think I’ll be sticking with tenor.  I’m having a great time and hope one day to play well enough to get regular gigs.  I’ve been playing keys for about 35 years (… Read more
Wil
Just a brief note to compliment you on your teaching skills and in particular for the honesty of your lessons.  I am a returning alto sax player in my 50’s and I was looking for a no nonsense, straight to the point kind of guidance. I had intended to email you with a few questions regarding the use of the bis key but then I noticed that there was a lesson on that specific topic and after viewing it,  all my questions were answered. I once took a group lesson with a well known professional sax … Read more
Patrick

Thank You Steve. I think that I will be busy for years. Thank You for your great contribution to jazz music. Your books, more than teaching “how to play jazz”, actually teach “how to speak jazz”. I wish I found your methods years ago.  

Jean-Eric

Hi Steve,

First, I want to thank you for all of your great lessons. They are like a “For Dummies” version of all the books on my shelf. The lessons break things down into manageable pieces, and give me the confidence that I’m practicing the right pieces. I’m starting to make progress.   Thank You,   Kim

Kim
By the way, BIG COMPLIMENTS to you, Steve! Not only are you a great player, you are also a great teacher! I, too, am a woodwinds player/teacher. I have new inspiration to play and teach because of you. The concepts and “thinking” is similar to what I already learned in College, but hearing you explain and PLAY the concepts REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE! Also, your written patterns are more interesting than other books I have seen! Keep up the good work. I will be recommending your sit… Read more
I will be recommending your site to others!
I want to say something about Steve Neff’s series of lessons, Beginner Jazz Improvisation. For a couple of years I tried many beginner lessons and my problem was that there was a gap between lessons that were fairly simple and ones that I was not quite ready for and my progress stalled out. That problem was solved with the series Beginner Jazz Improvisation. He guides you step by step along the way and builds a foundation for learning jazz and blues. He leaves no question about what to practice … Read more
Pete
I’ve been downloading your lessons for 4 months now (20 lesson) and I have noticed tremendous growth in my playing thus far! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site!
Bob
Thanks so much for putting all this great learning material out there. I don’t often have the time to take a lesson with a teacher, so the ability to download lessons is really invaluable. My playing has improved enormously (I think :)) – and the lessons are so varied there’s always something to be inspired by. Incredible value too!
Roger
It is so refreshing to have a great player, who can provide lessons and examples in a manner which is understandable to most any enthusiastic saxophonist who is ready to improve. not just the, do this, do that, memorize this, memorize that… while all that is absolutely necessary, you go on to give reasons and examples to explain and validate why you have to do all of these things, the benefits, if you will… that is the key for me, you tell, explain, demonstrate, explain some more, you give perso… Read more
Cedric

Your material is great! I got your New Altissimo Lesson 6 months ago and I have learned more from that than in all my 44 years of playing! I appreciate your down to earth teaching method and I really appreciate the heart that you teach with. I have been a subscriber to your lessons for the past 6 months and I have learned a great deal. Over that period of time I have had some questions and you have never failed to respond. Thanks! I have already recommended your lessons to a number of players in… Read more

Michael Byington

Mr. Neff,  I want to thank you for sharing your God-given talents through your on-line lessons.  My husband, Michael, is blind, but he is a great sax player and he has been enjoying your lessons for quite some time now.  It’s not unusual for me to hear “Hey, babe, listen to THIS!” – and he will cut loose on his sax, just thrilled at what he learned during his session with you.  His excitement warms my heart!  You have no idea how much you have poured into my husband.  You have opened musical … Read more

Carole B

Hello Steve, I’m getting so much out of your lessons and books, amazing how much one may think one knows, there is always a new frontier or new way to view something you think you had somewhat down. You have taken it all to a new level and am so grateful. Your lessons are so down to earth and understandable and clear!  Thanks so much Steve! Cheers, Eddie

Eddie Parente
Thank you for all the educational information you provide.  I am a classically trained musician.  Professionally, I am a 4th and 5th grade band teacher.  I have played piano and sax for many years, but now I am starting to gig out more. I have always improvised by ear in the past. I have gotten by with my strong sense of pitch, rhythm and melodic contour. However, I want to go deeper. I want to play with a greater variety of melodic and rhythmic ideas to pull from.  I have studied to gain a … Read more
Ray

Hello Steve,

I just want to say thank you so much for your unbelievable work, it is just mind opening, thanks for sharing it.

Wolfgang from Berlin

Wolfgang from Berlin
Hi Steve, I live in a gorgeous but rural area of Oregon-no music store within 80 miles. Your lessons are my lifeline!  Truly the best there are anywhere online. Love your playing. Love your teaching.  Thanks again. Ed
Ed Woodmansee
Steve- I joined your site this month and have downloaded 4 lessons and also purchased your new book and video on diatonic patterns. I just want to say I am very pleased with your approach and teaching techniques. I am getting back into playing after laying off for some time. The information you offer on your site is of great value and I am enjoying being a member. Thank you for what you are doing for the saxophone community.
Tony
First, I’m really excited about your materials! This site is a vast resource for any aspiring (and maybe already inspired) jazz musicians. I’m not a sax player, I play mandolin and fiddle, but have been learning jazz and playing weekly with a quintet for the past 6 months and have been struggling with all of the issues you get into in your lessons. I bought several books and lessons and plan to continue with some others as soon as I organize my practice routine. Thanks again for a great site … Read more
Tony Galfano
Your lessons on playing the blues is so clear . I have been through many books on blues playing and not one of them explains as clear as your lessons . Most of them say “Play the same blues scale over all three chords of a 12 bar blues ” Its very misleading .     Thanks
Martin
Thank you for the wealth of helpful lessons you’ve provided over the years.  I truly feel as though it has improved my playing more than the 4 years I spent at Berklee… and that’s not a slight on the school as I loved my experience there.
John
John

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