Aulochrome - the New Saxophone

[jasonsorio]

The thing is mad loud :/

[jasonsorio]

Sounds pretty good when you're not screaming out the notes. Well, I think it's supposed to. It's like 2 saxophone players playing the same notes at the same rhythm without both playing a different note. Unless you broke your Aulochrome. D:

[JoeHeartsTrees]

Does he really think it sounds good? :S

[masterwarhammer1]

sounds absolutely terrible lol

[gitrpicker]

An old Maryland fellow named Berk Motley made the Guinness Book of World Records in the '60s playing two or three saxes or clarinets at a time...nothing new.

[StatewideREA]

Very brilliant. Great sound, that is a harbinger of sounds to come.....but then Roland Kirk was a harbinger of this instrument.

[godgunsncountry]

He started blowing and I was like, oh shit I must be standing in the middle of a green light.

[JazzVideoGuy]

@godgunsncountry LOL

[mmaarrkkuuss1515]

I had exactly the same idea! D:

[KWOOTfluke]

THE PLATYPUS OF SAXOPHONES!!!!!!!

[theapocryphaltruth]

That is so damn cool. Imagine the possibilities when this design has been fully optimized. A master could play some very interesting contrapuntal solos.

[ackjazz707]

sure is cool, but it's not the future of saxophone

[SKADOOSH84]

what the fuck

[elfcounsul]

Remember the Selmer Varitone? Sonny Stitt did some sweet stuff with one. 

[kevinm4435]

sounds like he's still finding his way around the instrument. should be pretty cool in a few years.

[dawnrunsamok]

Thanks to Joe for giving Rahsaan Roland Kirk his due respect...Kirk was a giant in Jazz and far more than just a "multi-instrumentalist", he was sheer genius.

[pisse3000]

it doesn't sound like it's prply tuned oO

but it's just 10years old :p i guess i'll give it time :3

[Hukijiwa]

@pisse3000 The two horns are tuned a microtone or so apart on purpose to give it a shimmery sort of dissonance when they are played in unison.

[pisse3000]

@Hukijiwa Intentional or not, it still sounds awful! ^^

[jolingi]

make a curved

[mochesax88]

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­

[storkonhudson]

c melody baby!!!!

[VisionScientist]

Who stayed up all night and concocted this?

[KevvieG]

It's like having your own reverb built in :-)

[AirMover49]

tht's so fricking stupid. u might as well have 2 soprano players and be done with it.

[alejnikov]

@AirMover49 It's not that simple, as the sound is different (you are simply not able to really control the pressure of the lower lip when playing two horns at one time, so it always sounds brighter and dirtier than with two player), and the intonation will never be as bad when you get two players, as these two will always tend to correct their intonation. Last thing: Playing two horns simultaneously lets you as the player choose the intervals, interferences &c alone.

[AirMover49]

@alejnikov if it sounds dirtier then 2 players then y not have to players and make it sound cleaner. and isn't that what music is for to help with intervals and interferences.

[alejnikov]

@AirMover49 Depends on what you want: If you want it clean and neat and nice, go for 2 players. If you want to add some dirt, go for 2 horns with 1 player. I personally like some dirt in my music, although I am not necessarily a fan of the Aulochrome. The same goes for interferences: They definitely may be musical material, in some contexts, like the music of Bali, e.g., or even Jazz.

[vegandragon]

This just doesnt cut it for me.....

[StopTheMoti0n]

that's amazing!! so many possibilities to it!

[OliverDuarte88]

The normal saxophone is better

[BOSEROCKS1]

that's pretty cool!!!!!!!

[skitch05]

This instrument sounds like crap.

[HubertTheHappyHobo]

It sounds AWFUL. But it's still so cool. I geeked out a bit when I saw it, I won't lie. But this makes the joke "How do you tune two soprano saxes? Shoot one," a whole lot more difficult.

[pickinstone]

@HubertTheHappyHobo sounds like Ornette, I love it

[jfxcoll]

I love Joe! He doesn't need that horn

[saxophonequartet]

Wow. Joe Lovano is the guy to be doing this. I think I'll comission a double alto, double tenor and double bari for my saxophone quartet (double saxophone quartet). Now that would be something!

[Niksko1811]

It's not two sopranos glued together. It is like two sopranos together, but it has a completely different fingering system that means you can play any two notes at the same time. If you just glued two sopranos together you could only play a very limited assortment of notes since you can only play on each horn what you can play with one hand.

[drumstyx6464]

@Niksko1811 it's a very difficult fingering system from what i've seen. IIRC it's got a unison keyset, a keyset for the one on the right, and a keyset for the one on the left. if you were to play an F and a Bb like he mentions here, you would need to finger B on the unison keyset, perhaps a Bb if there's a bis key on the unison set, and the rest on just the left keyset, making it quite a challenge to learn.

[vandoren59]

I could make one of them by just glueing two of my soprano's together with sticky tape!

A funny idea but it should have remained just an idea.

[jmsaxmantha2nd]

Two horns in one? bullcrap its two sopranos glued together with two different mouthpieces thats stupid

[ioplm4862]

to make the two saxophone play independently is a whole nother thing

[smtiellgopher]

How do the fingerings work on it?

[trainguy111]

I want one for my robot band!

[jleejazz]

Was that Lewis Nash in the middle of the video haha

[WhiteLightnin3]

how do I get one

[bradyamerson]

@WhiteLightnin3

As of now, you don't. I believe there's only one in existence.... Joe's using it sort of on loan from Francois Louis, the maker of the horn. Hopefully they get into production soon, it would be great to try playing one!

[diegoadoradoresmd]

O amor que eu tenho pela musica é muito grande - Foi Deus que colocou em meu coração / para adorar a Ele e para Ele,

[MyCh3micalR0mance365]

I think I just found my new saxophone!!!

[Saxodude95]

ive never seen such a wierd and funny saxophone, and it also have own unicke sound, COOL

[bifesbifes]

well, just a toy.. but he indeed sounds like shit on it, and generally on any soprano... but i still love his tenor playing!

[Bassko]

I WANT THAT

[meatnbeans]

that thing sounds like shit

[bigwm]

Sounds like a great development! There's definitely a lot of potential. Maybe just for the pros? Imagine a beginner on that! lol

[Souperbass]

This only works if you are as good as or better than Joe Lovano.

[GoellnitzBryce]

When are they coming out with a tenor sax version? It would be so fun to play!

[WhiteLightnin3]

that would be so much fun to play, but I like the larger, lower sounding saxaphones, because I play a Bari on a daily basis.

[etdejazz]

It's a cool innovation on a "not-so-new" instrument. I've seen this horn as a "Braithe-o-phon" over 25 years ago in New York City. An older saxophonist, George Braithewaite played it with a band on the streets. It was a crude version of the horn you see here, and the hand positions were opposite (right hand on top, and left on the bottom). I heard him play "Giant Steps" on that thing! It was incredible! I later found a CD of his in Switzerland playing that horn.

[Solis1112]

gives a whole new meaning to double-reed

[arifreeman]

So when are they going to make a double tenor?

Also, if possible a tenor on one side and a soprano on the other for octave playing would be awesome.

[Wazupman14]

Hell yah!!!! im sick of not bein able to play high Gb i can get up to G nd thatz it they need to make one of those!

[blueberrywaffles62]

This thing is awesome but the sound... well.... you know....

nonetheless, great instrument has potential to sound incredible once you get to know it. I am a semi- good alto player and might switch to soprano sometime (single soprano that is).

[PAPERSK8ER]

I also play alto but, i have only played for about a year and dont know that much, and i think i Would like to get a soprano... They have the same fingerings right?

[Jazzman555]

yeh it is the same fingering but its in Bb not Eb so youll need to transpose

[LASlagrimasENelCEILO]

dude i wanna no where u can buy one of these!!!!!!! some 1 needs to tell me!!!

[thejoyofsax]

You cannot purchase one. I believe there are not more than two in the world at the moment.

[derekio137]

The person who makes this instrument is Francois Louis and he has a website where u can contact him.

[Jointine]

The aulochrome is based on the acient Greek instrument the aulos. In Greek mythology, the divine mission of the wine-god Dionysus (or Bacchus) was to mingle the music of the aulos with the power of wine to bring an end to care and worry.

Francois Louis is a real genious, I'm using one of his ultimate ligatures on my soprano . +I can't wait to buy that lovano record!

thumbs up (y)

[baka6660]

lol

it sounds like you need a lotta air

[jimcrich]

Wow Joe, I'd really like to get my hands on a Aulochrome. You are playing magnificently on it.....whew!

Jim Rich

[timdeal]

much better just to master the art of playing more than one saxophone at once than. this thing might make it easier, but it's not as cool as playing more than one at once.

[532193]

2 Sopranos + Crazy Clue + Guy with a lot of free time = Aulochrome.

Out of every crazy sax I have ever seen, this has to be the craziest!! I would love to try it out though!!

[07mw]

ugh . . . it sounds like a disgusting annoying horn!! or a boat! ill definitely stick to my alto!!

[ncodrington]

very very interesting! and sounds nice. ill stick to my NORMAL tenor though!

[dleesnuts]

meh, nice gimmick but that's about it. All novelty, no practicality.

[MusicMultiMan91]

Pros: cool design (looks like an ancient Greek aulos)

Cons: horrible sound (sounds like a mutated Indian pungi)

[FrankMazeppa]

well i mean its joe lovano. what do you expect?

[BrickSalad]

Wow, that is very cool, but you have to wonder how it works. Does one hand have to operate the entire range on each half? And how would stuff like altissimo work? I think I'll stick with my alto, but mabye someday...

[killwill07]

i sounds like a soundtrack from a space movie.

ill stick with the three main ones.

alto, bari and tenor

[TwoTone89]

Must say I think that sounds horriable!It is quite impressive however.Both in design and playing.5 stars for that!

[altosax55]

YO ....tim hagans is in this video! He's a BEAST on the trumpet!

[happylarry08]

yeah i agree - interesting though

[Djldracio]

I love the sound, it has a really nice tone. I gotta try it..

[pgbflower2]

That's really wierd. I think I'll stick to my alto.

[saxophoney]

Why?

[ngiaquinto]

Whoa!? I am confused... Is that possible?

[JazzVideoGuy]

i'm even more confused than you

[ngiaquinto]

I sent an e-mail to Frank Louise and he told me that it is very real, he is looking to put it into some kind of production... he is looking for a partner. At this time this is the ONLY jazz recording. And the one in the video, is only a prototype... and the only one in existance!

[etdejazz]

That's actually very old! I've known the instrument as a "Braithe-o-phone". I used to see a guy about 20 years ago in NYC play one on the street - playing "Giant Steps" with it! In Harmony! Amazing!

[odsum25]

The braithophone is a totally different animal created by the great musician, George Braith. The braithophone is a soprano/straight alto combination with two seperate keyboards. Braith is also an incredible musician who you can still hear around the city.

As for the aulochrome, Francois is a genius. It's absolutely wild.

[DarkRoseMegs]

What the f ... ! It sure is different ! I recently heard of a triple SOP in the works called the Tricerasop !

[YevgeniyaSachli]

Great musician, great horn!

[totias]

joe himself told me thet the saxophone makers don`t want to support francoise louis or buy the license, because they`d rather wait for it to expire, and make it themselves. c`mon!

[Bzzzpuk]

sure eh... a special sounds lol

[RatPfink66]

k3wl!!1! But I guess they won't let 'em take close up pix of the new horn. Craftsmen...whadya do, they're like that.