Didier Christophe plays tenor and alto saxophone...

(Pictures by Marie Photo Passion)

 TENOR Setup: several tenor saxophones from Amati,
Amati ATS-83P "Bravour" (nickel silver), Amati ATS-62 and vintage 60's Amati Classic Deluxe, all Czech professional saxophones,
with several models of metal Otto Link mouthpieces:
a serial  "Super tone Master" opening 7, a  "new" Florida FL "Super tone Master" opening 6, and a "new vintage" NV "Tone Master"opening 6*,
and Vandoren red Java reeds (2 or 2.5).

ALTO Setup: several vintage alto saxophones Julius Keilwerth "The New King" serie IV, German pro sax with rolled tone holes and without F sharp kee,
with metal vintage Otto Link "Super tone Master" mouthpieces.
Two of these saxophones are stencils of The New King serie IV, branded H. & A. Selmer USA "Bundy Special",
with their original numbered necks. All of them were made in Germany in 1965 by the Julius Keilwerth's factory.
Also tryed a vintage alto sax Julius Keilwerth "Toneking" serie IV from 1973, but less pleasent than The New King from 1965,
according to ergonomic and tone specificities, on my opinion.
They are played with different metal vintage Otto Link "Super tone Master" mouthpieces,
each fitted whith his own original ligature:
 an Otto Link "Florida No USA" mouthpiece (opening 5) made in the middle 1960's,
an Otto Link "Florida USA" mouthpiece (several openings, 5, or 6, or 6*) made in the late 1960's,
an Otto Link "Transitional Florida" mouthpiece (opening 6) made in 1973,
or an Otto Link "Early Babbitt" mouthpiece (opening 5*) made in the late 1970's,
and Vandoren red Java reeds (2, 2.5 or 3), or D'Addario Select Jazz reeds (2H), or Legere American cut reeds (1.75).
Several years before, I used a modern Otto Link Super Tone Master 6, and a Meyer J6 (metal).

Special thanks to Thierry Chèze, my jazz professor at the Tulle Conservatory of music,
and to my friend David Layton, American jazz saxophonist in Toulouse and around the world.

TENOR SAX recordings.

Vintage silver plated Amati Classic Deluxe, from 1963, + Otto Link New Vintage Tone Master "NV" 6*,
recorded on December 31th 2023, with a Vandoren "red Java" 2 reed:
Blues number 1, 80 bpm (3:08)
Blues number 2, 120 bpm (3:18)
That's All, 84 bpm (6:24)

ALTO SAX recordings.

 Comparison between several different metal mouthpieces and several vintage Julius Keilwerth alto saxophones!
All of these tunes are usualy played by Didier Christophe on his 1965 Keilwerth's stencil "Bundy Special" alto sax with Vandoren "red Java" reeds:

1. Keilwerth "The New King", 1965 + Otto Link Super Tone Master "Florida No USA" 5,
with its original Otto Link "Florida" A ligature, an easy-to-play setup,
recorded on November 13th 2022, with a Legere "American Cut" 2 or 1.75 reed:
Corcovado,  (5:53)
Wave,  (6:08)
How Insensitive,  (6:15)
Sunny,  (6:43)
Georgia On My Mind,  (4:38)
On The Sunny Side Of The Street,  (4:25)
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home,  (5:48)
When The Saints Go Marchin' In,  (5:20)

2. Selmer USA "Bundy Special" (Keilwerth "The New King"), 1965 + Otto Link Super Tone Master "Florida USA" 5,
with its original Otto Link "Florida" ligature, an other easy-to-play setup,
recorded on April 15th 2021, with a Vandoren red Java 2,5 reed:
Road Song, 135 bpm (6:01)

3. "The New King" (aka Selmer USA "Bundy Special", 1965) vs "Toneking" (1973): two vintage Julius Keilwerth alto saxophones,
recorded on January 5th 2020, with a Vandoren red Java 2,5 reed:
There Will Never Be Another You (5:52)  The New King vs Toneking (with an Otto Link "Florida U.S.A." Super Tone Master 6* mouthpiece).
Sugar (6:32) The New King + Otto Link Florida USA 6*, vs Toneking + Otto Link Early Babbitt 5*.

4. Three vintage Otto Link metal mouthpieces comparison: Early Babbitt (late 70's) vs Transitional (1973-1974) vs Florida USA (60's),
recorded on February 8th 2020, with Vandoren red Java 2,5 reeds:
Love For Sale (7:54)
What Is This Thing Called Love (8:12)

5. Otto Link "Florida U.S.A." Super Tone Master 6* [six star] (metal, late 60's), with its original Otto Link "Florida" ligature,
a good setup:  Whaaa!
recorded on November 3rd, 2019, with a Vandoren red Java 2,5 [ medium-soft ] reed:
Falling In Love With Love (6:18)
East Of The Sun (5:30)
How High The Moon (4:47)
recorded on November 1st, 2019, with a Vandoren red Java 3 [ hard :-/ ] reed:
Falling In Love With Love (6:12)
East Of The Sun (5:24)
recorded on May 12th, 2019, with another Vandoren red Java 3 [ good ;-) ] reed:
Stormy Weather (4:19)
I Can't Get Started (5:47)
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (5:34)

6.a) Otto Link "Florida U.S.A." Super Tone Master 6 [six] (metal, late 60's), with its original Otto Link "Florida" ligature,
recorded on October 7th, 2018:
Stormy Weather (4:20)
There Will Never Be Another You (5:29)

6.b) Otto Link "Florida U.S.A." Super Tone Master 6 (metal, late 60's), with a François Louis "Ultimate" ligature fitted with the solid brass pressure plate,
recorded on December 27th, 2018:
Stormy Weather (4:14)
Tenderly (4:07)
Georgia On My Mind (4:10)
Sugar (6:14)
Sunny (5:45)
recorded on December 31th, 2018:
Big Easy (Blues) (4:40)
Big Easy (Blues; alternative take) (4:42)
Falling In Love With Love (6:18)
How High The Moon (4:50)

6.c) Otto Link "Florida U.S.A." Super Tone Master 6 (metal, late 60's), with a François Louis "Ultimate" ligature fitted with the stainless steel pressure plate,
recorded on November 23rd, 2018:
Stormy Weather (4:22)
There Will Never Be Another You (5:28)
recorded on November 25th 2018:
Misty (5:10)
recorded on November 29th 2018:
Sugar (6:13)

6.d) Otto Link "Florida U.S.A." Super Tone Master 6 (metal, late 60's), with a BG "L12 SR" ligature,
recorded on October 7th, 2018:
Stormy Weather (4:17)
There Will Never Be Another You (5:29)

7) Otto Link "Early Babbitt" Super Tone Master 5* (metal, 1975-1979), with its original Otto Link "Early Babbitt" ligature,
recorded on November 3rd, 2019, with a Vandoren red Java 2,5 [ medium-soft ] reed:
Falling In Love With Love (6:13)
East Of The Sun (5:27)
How High The Moon (4:46)
recorded on November 1st, 2019, with a 3 Vandoren red Java [ hard :-/ ] reed:
East Of The Sun (4:57)
Autumn Leaves (5:21)
and... with a different, smokier, Otto Link "Early Babbitt" Super Tone Master 5* mouthpiece (metal, 1975-1979), with its Otto Link ligature,
recorded on April 3rd and 4th, 2017:
Stormy Weather (4:25)
There Will Never Be Another You (5:34)
My Shinning Hour (4:47)

8) Otto Link Super Tone Master 6 mouthpiece (metal, 2012), with its original Link "STM" ligature,
recorded on February 16th and 17th, 2017:
When Sunny Gets Blue (6:19)
Georgia On My Mind (4:13)
Tenderly (4:17)

9) Meyer metal J6 (metal, c. 2010), with its original Meyer "J" ligature,
recorded on April 4th, 2017:
Stormy Weather (4:26)
There Will Never Be Another You (5:36)

Tunes & backing tracks from Jamey Aebersold Jazz play-a-longs and jazz books:
Vol. 98, Antonio Carlos Jobim Bossa Nova (Dan Stryker, g; Bill Mooring, b; Duduka Da Fonseca, dms & perc).
Vol. 80, Indiana (Mark Levine, p; Tyrone Wheeler, b; Barry Ries, dms).
Vol. 118, Grooving jazz (Joey Defrancesco, org; Jake Langlet, g; Carmen Intorre, dms).
Vol. 44, Autumn Leaves (Niels Lan Doki, p; Christian Doki, b; Billy Hart, dms).
Vol 19, Sugar (Hank Marr, org; Jim Rupp, dms).
Recorded in Tulle (France), with a Zoom H4n recorder friendly supplied by Woïtek Skop.
"Special big thanks to Diane de Bournazel and Augustin Lavaud: through them, I was bitten by the sax bug!" D.C.

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