Saxophobia

The saxophone, invented in the 1840s by Adolphe Sax, quickly established itself as an integral part of French and British military bands, but remained a niche instrument elsewhere until it gained a foothold in Vaudeville and ragtime bands in the United States in the 1920s. From then on, it became an indispensable part of dance bands and a significant solo instrument in jazz. Much of this early development is owed to a single musician—Rudy Wiedoeft. Coming from a musical family, Wiedoeft became a virtuoso clarinetist at a young age before dedicating himself to the saxophone in 1914. At the dawn of the dance boom, he was convinced that he could earn more as a saxophonist than as an orchestral clarinetist, and spent the following years forming and leading bands for nightclubs and cabarets, as well as writing and recording his own virtuoso pieces for saxophone. Because he focused more on recording than performing, he became a household name in this field. However, the rise of the jazz era and its new star musicians eventually overshadowed his work, and his achievements and influence were forgotten. Multi-instrumentalist, educator, and virtuoso saxophonist Chad Smith initiated this album both as a tribute to this largely forgotten innovator and to bring him back into the spotlight. A Broadway veteran since 2002, Smith has had an amazing career that includes live and studio work at the highest level, and can be heard on a variety of soundtracks from "Star Wars" to "The Simpsons." He has appeared as a soloist with most of America's leading symphony orchestras and has worked with countless artists such as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Lady Gaga.