FOR DETAILS CONTACT: Terry Landry (818) 771-5300 ext 225 or email -lefonk@ricoreeds.com
So if you play a 3 ½, for example, and want to know what strength of Rico Select JAZZ would be appropriate for you, ask yourself this question: out of a box of your regular 3 ½ strength reeds, do you like the stiffer ones or the softer ones? If you prefer the softer ones, start with a Select 3Medium (to be thought of as a 3 1/3); if you prefer the harder ones, try the Select 3Hard (to be thought of as a 3 2/3).
Rico JAZZ and Rico Select JAZZ feature a new cut that has no equivalent in any other brand. This new cut is, among other things, heavy in the heart of the reed, which provides a rich, full sound, solid altissimo response, better pitch definition, and great durability. However, this thick heart also means Select JAZZ has a heavy resistance designed into it--- heavier than almost every other reed on the market. Many seasoned pros told us they rely on this resistance, but even most pros need a brief adjustment period when they switch to Rico Select JAZZ. Many popular modern reed designs don't offer much resistance, so saxophonists focus their airstream on the "lower" side of the tone to get the richness of sound they seek. With Select JAZZ, due to the new cut, the opposite is true, and you'll need to focus your airstream on the "top" side of your tone to get the brilliance you're used to.
Nonetheless, most players, when first switching to Select JAZZ, tend to try to match the resistance with what they're used to. Therefore, there's a good chance that the Select JAZZ strength you first pick as comfortable will soon be found to be too soft for you. No problem, just move up a third strength when you're ready.
When you get the appropriate strength, you probably won't find the reed to be "okay." The sound will practically burst out of the horn.
You should regard the file as an option to help you fine-tune your sound and comfort level. It frees up low-end response, making it easier to subtone at soft volumes, but also makes the tone a bit brighter. Those who prefer the file are usually those who play darker sounding mouthpieces, like Links on tenor or Meyers on alto. Those who prefer the unfiled version are usually those who play brighter mouthpieces like metal Beechlers or Dukoffs. Although Rico JAZZ is available only in an unfiled version, Rico Select JAZZ is available with or without the French file.
The use of the French file was one of the items we tested in our prototype phase. Of our pro test market, 70% preferred the French file and 30% preferred unfiled. Curiously, of our "weekend" pro/student test market, the exact reverse was true: 70% preferred the unfiled version, while 30% preferred the file.
The primary characteristic that separates a satisfied Select JAZZ player from a satisfied Rico JAZZ player is the degree of development of embouchure muscles. Rico JAZZ is designed primarily as a cost-effective alternative to Select JAZZ for advanced students and "weekend" pros.
Rico JAZZ and Rico Select JAZZ feature an identical cut, and differ primarily in the options available (French file & strength grading system), and the grade of cane: premium in Rico JAZZ, and a new higher, harder grade we actually developed and defined for Rico Select JAZZ. This new grade of cane is very resistant, and is not for everyone. Most seasoned pros we talked to prefer the resistance it provides, but those players that don't have mature, highly developed embouchure muscles from years of prolonged daily practice, or those who want to minimize resistance, may prefer the (slightly softer) premium grade of cane we use in Rico JAZZ. Teachers and students should note that, due to the built-in resistance of the new designs, both new JAZZ lines are a poor choice for most students younger than about 10th or 11th grade, and Select JAZZ is a poor choice for most students younger than University level.
As different styles of music have evolved, different styles of saxophone playing have simultaneously evolved, often by necessity. Since different playing styles often warrant different reed choices, we began to find that design nuances favored by, say, a saxophonist in a loud funk band would not be as warmly received by, say, a straight ahead jazz player. Thus, we began to see our "general use" designs no longer meeting the needs of many of our artists. Our market research identified the straight ahead jazz market as the one most in need, so we set out to design a reed for those players.
We surveyed over 200 jazz saxophonists, from University level to world-class professional. They told us the features they wanted, the problems they wanted solved, and the equipment they play. We designed our new JAZZ lines according to what these saxophonists told us they wanted, then set about prototype testing with this same group.
The plurality of this group told us they play Link or large-chambered Berg Larsen mouthpieces on tenor, and Meyers on alto (open, round-chambered mouthpieces), so we designed our JAZZ lines to optimize these mouthpieces. In fact, many who previously used mouthpieces with wedges and high baffles find that, when coupled to a Rico Select JAZZ reed, a Link or Meyer provides a richer sound, and gives them the power and projection they used to get with a baffled mouthpiece, with none of the intonation or volatility problems. But, many funk players with small-chambered, bright-sounding mouthpieces are finding Rico JAZZ and the unfiled version of Rico Select JAZZ to be the reed of choice for full tone quality, even though we designed the reed for a different type of player. Similarly, some classical saxophonists are now extolling the merits of Rico JAZZ and Rico Select JAZZ.
The bottom line? We designed a reed around what jazz players told us they wanted. Because it's a great product, lots of saxophonists find it meets their needs, even if they aren't mainstream jazz players.
With the exception of Ronnie Cuber (who still prefers regular Ricos), all the above-mentioned are currently playing Rico Select JAZZ. Other greats who have since joined the ranks of Select JAZZ players include Jerry Bergonzi, Arthur Blythe, Gordon Brisker, James Moody, Mike Smith, Tommy Smith, Jim Snidero, Joe Temperley, Stanley Turrentine, Walt Weiskopf, Albert Wing.
Most of our JAZZ cane comes from the famed Var region in the south of France. In fact, Rico uses more French cane than any other reed manufacturer. Our JAZZ reeds are cut of cane from our eleven French plantations and from our experimental plantations in California, where we have agriculture scientists from the famed research facilities at the University of California working to improve the quality of our cane.
This is especially true for users of Select JAZZ, due to the development of the reed's third-strength grading system. As mentioned earlier, in a box of your regular reeds, many (though of course not all) of the reeds that don't work for you are perfectly good, but not quite in your comfortable strength range, even though they are within the strength listed on the box. With Select JAZZ we narrowed down that range so that the reeds in every box play much more similarly to each other. You will find them much more consistent than any other reed on the market. In addition to the artistic benefits you'll reap, better consistency equals better cost-effectiveness to you.