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<\/a><\/p>\nSelmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n Here is a description of the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece from the Sweetwater website<\/a> description:<\/p>\n The Jazz Tribute signifies the importance of jazz to Selmer Paris, a company whose world-class saxophones are deeply interwoven with the history of the genre, while acknowledging the tenor\u2019s status as the quintessential \u201cjazz\u201d horn. Although the Jazz Tribute excels in acoustic jazz settings, it is not a conventional design by any means \u2014 nor is it your typical \u201cpower blaster\u201d metal mouthpiece. While hard rubber mouthpieces have traditionally been the go-to for playing comfort and a rich, full sound, tenor players have increasingly turned to metal mouthpieces for sheer power, projection, and the ability to cut through a busy arrangement.\u00a0 But what if you could have it all? Enter the Jazz Tribute. Crafted from premium high-grade brass with a gleaming gold-plated finish, this mouthpiece offers exceptional durability, along with strong projection and sonic brilliance. But it\u2019s the sophisticated engineering behind its design that helps it deliver remarkable fullness, roundness, and warmth that belies its metal construction.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Years in development, the Jazz Tribute benefits from a meticulous, cutting-edge design and manufacturing process informed by advanced materials science, computer-aided CNC machining, and 3D optical inspection to achieve an exacting level of precision. Drawing on its expertise in acoustical engineering and fruitful collaborations with professional tenor players, Selmer has produced a mouthpiece that both complements and exploits the distinctive voice of the tenor sax. The result is one of the most versatile metal saxophone mouthpieces ever created. Perfect for everything from small-combo jazz to a diverse range of modern music styles, the Henri Selmer Paris Jazz Tribute combines sonic density with extraordinary clarity and comfortable ease of play. It\u2019s this outstanding versatility that makes the Jazz Tribute a standout among metal tenor mouthpieces. With the right reed and embouchure, it will accommodate just about any musical setting.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Located within Selmer\u2019s Mantes-la-Ville workshops, digitally controlled facilities maintain uncompromising quality standards. Here, Jazz Tribute mouthpieces are meticulously milled on modified machinery formerly used by the Swiss watchmaking industry. To ensure unit-to-unit uniformity, this precision equipment is calibrated to tolerances of less than 0.03mm. In addition, a high-resolution 3D optical quality control machine scrutinizes every design parameter, guaranteeing the mouthpiece you get will be perfect and play flawlessly. The result of Selmer\u2019s fastidious attention to detail is a mouthpiece that provides supreme playing comfort and optimal expressive malleability. <\/em><\/p>\n Available in three tip opening sizes to suit your playing predilections, the Jazz Tribute comes as a complete set with a specific ligature and mouthpiece cap. Inspired by the coveted ligatures of Maison Selmer, this exclusive ligature boasts a new beveled design that seamlessly adheres to the contours of the mouthpiece to exude elegant aesthetics and deliver superior performance. The cap, specially designed for this set, benefits from the same refined design ethos. A complete, high-performance package, the Selmer Paris Jazz Tribute represents a fabulous value among today\u2019s high-end mouthpieces.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Selmer Paris Photo)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Selmer Paris website also adds this information about the Selmer Paris Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Inspired by the legends who shaped the golden era of jazz,\u00a0the new\u00a0Jazz Tribute<\/strong> mouthpiece is designed for today\u2019s players who cherish jazz\u2019s traditions while shaping its future.\u00a0 <\/em>This metal tenor mouthpiece stands out for its balanced sound, combining\u00a0timbre and roundness<\/strong>. Ideal for jazz and modern music, it provides a\u00a0rich sound density<\/strong>\u00a0while remaining\u00a0easy to play<\/strong>.\u00a0 <\/em>Made from high-quality brass<\/strong>\u00a0with a\u00a0gold-plated finish<\/strong>, this mouthpiece ensures exceptional durability and sound quality, along with remarkable\u00a0brilliance and projection<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n An exclusive\u00a0ligature and cap<\/strong>\u00a0are supplied with the Jazz Tribute.<\/em><\/p>\n This mouthpiece is available in\u00a03 openings<\/strong>\u00a0for a single table length (36 mm \/ 1.42 in.):<\/em><\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Selmer Paris Photo)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece is made of brass which is then beautifully plated in gold (I have actually heard that the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece is brass which is plated with copper first, then silver and then gold but I haven’t confirmed this yet).\u00a0 \u00a0It comes in three tip openings of\u00a0 7* (.105″),\u00a0 8 (.110″) and 8* (.115″).<\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece comes in a nice black velvet bag that is inside a beautifully designed cardboard box with what looks like mouthpiece engineering drawings and measurements all over the box.\u00a0 The tip opening of 7* is listed as well as the table length of 36 mm (1.42 inches). As was true for the Selmer Jazz Flow alto saxophone mouthpiece, table length, is referring to the facing curve length.\u00a0 The Selmer Jazz Flow alto mouthpiece was advertised as 30mm long but when I questioned Ryan Lillywhite about this extremely long facing curve when preparing that review, he replied, \u201cIn a nutshell, normal humans use the .0015 gauge to read the length of a facing curve but Selmer Paris looks at their CAD model which tells you where the first micron starts to curve.\u00a0 So if you had a .0000001 gauge it would get close to the 30 mm facing curve length.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>I reached out to Ryan Lillywhite again for this review and he informed me that the same is true of the Jazz Tribute tenor mouthpiece and if you measured it with a .0000001 gauge it would be close to the 36 mm facing curve length listed on the box.<\/p>\n All this being true for the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece would mean that to us mere mortals who have to use a .0015 gauge to measure a facing length, the facing length of the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece would come out to about 29-30 mm which is a much longer facing curve on a tenor saxophone mouthpiece than I have encountered before (I have heard from two trusted sources that have measured the facing curve at 30 mm length). \u00a0Most of the tenor saxophone mouthpieces I have reviewed here at Neffmusic have been between 23.5 mm (shortest facing curve I have tried) and 27 mm (longest facing curve I have tried).\u00a0 Needless to say, a 30 mm length facing curve is really long on a tenor saxophone mouthpiece.<\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece chamber is listed on the box as round.\u00a0 There is no description of the size of the chamber on the box but later in the review I describe the chamber size as large to extra-large.<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Selmer Paris Photo)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece has the “Henri Selmer Paris” logo beautifully engraved in black on the top of the mouthpiece with “Fabrique en France” (made in France) engraved below it.\u00a0 The words “JAZZ TRIBUTE” are engraved on the side of the mouthpiece in what looks similar to the jazz font I use for writing music notation in Finale.\u00a0 The tip opening of 7* is machine engraved on to the middle of the mouthpiece table. The black engraving on the rich gold plating looks very classy and absolutely incredible.<\/p>\n The shank of the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece is understated and simple.\u00a0 Whereas many metal mouthpieces have engraving around the shank of some sort, there is no engraving or design on the shank of the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece.\u00a0 The outside diameter of the shank is narrower than the main body of the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece and the understated curved design of the shank actually seems to draw more attention to the main body of the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece.<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Selmer Paris Photo)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece comes with a Selmer gold ligature that looks very similar to the older Selmer 404 silver ligatures that I love so much.\u00a0 This new Selmer Gold 404 ligature (let’s call it that for this review) varies from the original Selmer 404 silver ligature in that it is beveled (angled) so that the top of the ligature sits further back on the top of the mouthpiece than the bottom of the ligature is on the reed.\u00a0 When the ligature is tightened down firmly and at full tightness there is still room for the screws too tighten more if needed which is good in case the ligature stretches out over time like many of my Selmer 404 silver ligatures have.\u00a0 \u00a0The new Selmer 404 gold ligature fits smoothly and perfectly on the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece and looks great!<\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece also comes with a beautiful gold Selmer mouthpiece cap that fits over the mouthpiece when it has a reed and ligature on it to protect the reed and mouthpiece.\u00a0 I am personally a bit nervous about sliding a metal mouthpiece cap over any metal mouthpiece just because it increases the chance of damage to the tip of the mouthpiece in my opinion.\u00a0 I have done gigs in dark nightclubs and after a few drinks during the gig, I went to put my metal mouthpiece cap on my mouthpiece and accidentally put some substantial dings into the tips of some of my favorite metal mouthpieces in the past.\u00a0 I write all this just to make the point, “Be very careful when putting on metal mouthpiece caps” (Especially in the dark after you have had a few drinks…..).<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Flow 7 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks amazing to the eye as you can see in the photos.\u00a0 The gold plated brass is smooth and shiny and I don’t see an imperfection anywhere. The tip, rails and table look even, precise and perfectly crafted.\u00a0 The mouthpiece tip rail and side rails are even and symmetrical.\u00a0 The shape of the tip rail matched the shape of the different reeds I used on the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece very closely.<\/p>\n The baffle of the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece has a slight curvature from side to side so that the middle of the baffle is slightly lower than the outside edges of the baffle. The baffle travels about 3\/8’s of an inch before it rolls over smoothly into a steeper decline towards the rear of the mouthpiece chamber.<\/p>\n The chamber looks to be a large to extra-large sized chamber. Compared to a typical Otto Link Super Tone Master tenor mouthpiece chamber the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece chamber is larger but not as large as a Theo Wanne extra-large chambered tenor mouthpiece or a typical NY Otto Link extra-large chamber.<\/p>\n The bottom of the mouthpiece chamber is scooped out slightly so that the bottom of the chamber is lower than the bottom of the bore of the mouthpiece.\u00a0 The side rails are scooped out but travel inwards as they head towards the chamber area and then expand outwards as they enter the chamber area.\u00a0 The roof of the chamber is nice and thin to accommodate the larger chamber.<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The diameter and beak profile of the Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is very close to the diameter and beak profile of a typical metal Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece.\u00a0 It felt very comfortable to me as I was play testing it.\u00a0 The body size of the Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece is similar to a typical metal Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece as well.<\/p>\n I tried a variety of reeds with the Selmer Paris Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece including Rigotti Gold, BSS, Roberto’s Winds,\u00a0 SYOS and Vandoren Java\u00a0 tenor saxophone reeds.\u00a0 \u00a0I decided to record the sound clips on a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Box #3 tenor saxophone reed.<\/p>\n One important aspect I noticed about the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece I received is that it had a concavity to the table that went from the bottom of the window to right above where the tip opening is engraved on the bottom of the table.\u00a0 I could see the effect of this concavity every time I took a reed off of the table as I would see a substantial amount of saliva or condensation in the middle of table from the bottom of the window all the way down the middle of the mouthpiece table.<\/p>\n With new reeds, it got suction and performed well, but with used reeds it was pretty rough going.\u00a0 \u00a0They would either not get suction at all from the beginning or lose suction five to ten minutes into playing.\u00a0 I was thinking the concavity down the middle of the table was causing used reeds to not seal on the mouthpiece but I communicated with Benjamin Allen who thought it was more likely the extremely long facing curve length of around 30 mm that was causing the issue.\u00a0 All of my used reeds have been used on mouthpieces with a much shorter facing curve and have formed to those curves so trying to find a used reed that would work on the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece’s longer facing curve was difficult.\u00a0 That being said, new reeds worked fine and sealed well so I would think if I spent some time flattening the used reeds they should work on the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece as well.<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n When first playing the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece, my first impression was that the Jazz Tribute produced a darker more spread tenor saxophone sound at lower to medium volumes. At full volume, the tone would get a bit brighter and a bit more focused sounding but I would still consider the tone to be more on the darker and warmer side of the tenor saxophone tone spectrum.<\/p>\n When I describe a saxophone tone as more spread, I am describing a saxophone tone that is on the other side of the spectrum from a typical Guardala focused type of tenor saxophone tone.\u00a0 That Guardala “high baffle”\u00a0 focused type of saxophone tone is like a laser beam.\u00a0 It is condensed, concentrated and often times, much more powerful.\u00a0 A more spread tenor saxophone tone has more depth and width to the tone.\u00a0 Many times, it has more character and warmth to it as well.\u00a0 Instead of the tone being in a tight concentrated ball of projecting sound it is more spread like a cloud or blanket of sound that fills the room in a different way.\u00a0 The Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece has this spread saxophone tone that I am describing.\u00a0 That type of tone is great for jazz playing and especially sweet for ballad playing.<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece had thick and lush low notes that sounded fat and full.\u00a0 Whether playing the low notes at full volume or in sub-tone, I really enjoyed the warm and fat low end of the saxophone with the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece.<\/p>\n The high palm key notes of my tenor saxophone were full and round sounding as well.\u00a0 Sometimes these notes can tend to sound thin and edgy when played softly but I found those notes to sound beautiful at softer volumes which I really enjoyed.\u00a0 You can hear examples of those notes I am describing in the first phrase of the first sound clip below when I go up high.<\/p>\n The altissimo range was easily accessible with the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor mouthpiece as you can hear in the third sound clip below.\u00a0 Interestingly, I found the altissimo range of notes to sound unique compared to other tenor saxophone mouthpieces I have reviewed here on the site.\u00a0 I’m not sure how to explain it though.\u00a0 It’s like the altissimo notes are more restrained or subdued.\u00a0 Usually when I play in the altissimo range on the saxophone, some notes break away from me a bit or feel like they are about to.\u00a0 The altissimo range on the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece felt like those notes were more “under control” or “locked in” if that makes sense.\u00a0 \u00a0Listen to the third clip below and see if you can hear what I am trying to describe.<\/p>\n The articulation on the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece was not as crisp and immediate as I find the articulation on tenor saxophone mouthpieces with a shorter facing curve and I assume that is because of the longer facing curve length.\u00a0 \u00a0In general, I find that shorter facing curve lengths lend themselves to a crisper more immediate style of articulation while the longer facing curve lengths lend themselves to a more legato and smooth style of articulation.\u00a0 I think of Dexter Gordon’s style of articulation when thinking of the way longer facing curves articulate. (Matter of fact, Dexter Gordon reportedly had a 27 mm long facing curve<\/a> according to Sebastian Knox,\u00a0 which is a pretty long facing curve as well)<\/p>\n As an example of this articulation, when you listen to the first sound clip below, it is hard to hear the articulation in the lines I am playing.\u00a0 I am articulating like I always do on these lines but the articulation is more muted and legato sounding to my ears.\u00a0 It almost goes unnoticed when listening to the sound clip because of this.\u00a0 I actually like this “understated” articulation and again……it reminds me of Dexter Gordon’s articulation.<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The intonation on the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very good up and down the saxophone and the mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone.\u00a0 The extra-large chamber size really brought down the pitch of the notes that can tend to be sharper on my SBA tenor saxophone with mouthpieces with smaller chambers and more baffle in them.<\/p>\n The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone when playing fast lines made the notes smooth and silky while playing fast.\u00a0 The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece responded immediately to emotive manipulations such as dynamics, bends and vibrato. The combination of those two elements with the spread and fat tenor saxophone tone made the Jazz Tribute tenor mouthpiece a lot of fun on ballads.<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece was perfect for me at the 7* tip opening.\u00a0 I would imagine the 8 and 8* opening to be even more spread sounding as that is usually what I experience when I go up in tip openings from a 7* but you would have to try those tip openings out yourselves to find out what they are like.<\/p>\n The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece had an average amount of power and volume when pushed.\u00a0\u00a0I would say that the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece could get me to a comfortable 7 in volume when I really pushed it.\u00a0 Although that volume is fine for most settings, small group jazz playing or even big band playing, I would not classify the Selmer Jazz Tribute as a tenor sax mouthpiece that would be great when competing with loud electronic instruments in funk, R &B or pop settings where you need to cut through the mix during a very loud gig.\u00a0 The combination of a darker more spread sound is usually not best in those kinds of settings but you would have to try the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece yourself in those settings to find out if I am right or not.<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of tenor saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear how the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece performs in different styles and volumes.<\/p>\n The first sound clip below is a recording of me playing a bunch of random lines and ideas like I usually do with no effects on the sound.\u00a0 This is just the sound of the Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece dry.\u00a0 I try to run through a variety of bebop lines, jazz melodies, articulations and miscellaneous ideas up and down the range of the saxophone so that you can listen and get an idea of how the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece sounded and performed for me.<\/p>\n The second sound clip is of me playing the melody of “When I Fall in Love” with some reverb added to the sound.<\/p>\n The third clip is my typical altissimo range sound clip with reverb added so you can hear how the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece sounds with more volume up in that higher range of the saxophone.<\/p>\n The fourth clip was added shortly after I posted this review live.\u00a0 \u00a0I had the thought that if the facing curve was so long, maybe I should be playing the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece differently to adapt to the longer facing curve.\u00a0 I put the same reed on it that I recorded the other clips with and took quite a bit more mouthpiece so my bottom lip was closer to that breaking point where the facing curve breaks away from the table and I got a lot more volume out of the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece. I was actually surprised by how much more volume. I’m wondering if my normal embouchure position was perhaps dampening the reed because of where the longer facing curve breaks.\u00a0 It was a bit uncomfortable for me to take that extra mouthpiece in my mouth but the tone seems bigger to me. I think I like it more. What do you think?<\/p>\n Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n In my opinion, the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor sax mouthpiece for those of you looking for a tenor sax mouthpiece that can play with a classic warm round jazz tenor saxophone sound that is full and fat sounding while giving the player easy expression and a warmth of tone with a bit of brightness added.\u00a0 As the name states, the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece is a tribute and salute to all the great jazz tenor saxophone players who came before.\u00a0 \u00a0I would certainly have loved to hear Coltrane, Dexter or Sonny Rollins on the Jazz Tribute to see how they would have sounded on it.<\/p>\n If you like the sound and look of the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece by Selmer, you can find them for sale at Sweetwater<\/a>. I have agreed to be an affiliate for Sweetwater so if you purchase a\u00a0Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece<\/a>\u00a0from this link<\/a>, neffmusic.com will receive a small commission on the sale while your cost remains the same. (This helps to support my site and keep the saxophone related reviews, articles and transcriptions coming to you\u2026..). Sweetwater even offers the option to pay in three installments as well which is nice.<\/p>\n If you try a Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review,\u00a0 I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.\u00a0 Thanks,\u00a0 \u00a0Steve<\/p>\n *To hear the most detail from these clips it is best to listen to them from a computer with nice audio speakers or headphones rather than from an iPhone or laptop speakers.\u00a0 It makes a world of difference!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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