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The Stylish Saxophonist; Setup Choices for Jazz vs Classical Playing

10th June 2025

By Alastair Penman

Although I see myself predominantly as a “classical” player, I also love playing jazz, and a fair amount of my work inhabits the area between the two. As saxophonists we’re often called upon to be musical chameleons, shifting between different styles (and even instruments); how can we choose a setup that allows us to do this as easily as possible?

Last Autumn I directed a project with the Guildhall School of Music Saxophone Ensemble, which included the premiere of a new 40-minute suite that I wrote for the group. Whilst the ensemble was drawn from the saxophone department (as opposed to the jazz saxophone department), several of the students have a strong jazz inclination. Luckily, I knew who would be in the ensemble, and was able to write the suite to play to their different strengths.

Many of the students have a strong classical preference and were using classical mouthpieces such as the Selmer Concept, S80 and S90, however others in the group were using metal mouthpieces designed for jazz or even funk playing. Recently I recorded the suite into a studio album, The Last Tree, in which I multi-tracked all 14 parts of the ensemble, and it really made me think about the most appropriate setup to use for each of the parts.

Classical Set-ups

For the more “classical” movements in the suite (e.g. A Fine Place, Doorway to Love) I wanted to produce a pure and beautiful sound with all the instruments blending well. This drew me towards my usual classical setups; Selmer Concept mouthpieces on soprano, alto and tenor and a Selmer S80 E on baritone (will Selmer make a Concept for baritone one day?) This, paired with the fact that all my saxophones are Selmer (Series III soprano, Series II alto, Reference 36 tenor, Series II baritone) helped to create a homogenous sound across the ensemble and to blend seamlessly.

If you’re wondering what an ensemble of 14 Selmer saxophones paired with Selmer mouthpieces would sound like, this is it!

Jazz Set-ups

At other points in the suite however, I wanted a much punchier sound and for solo instruments to be able to cut through the texture. For the two “jazziest” movements, Big Fat Dose and Every Man’s Greed I switched to my go-to jazz setups on each instrument; Selmer Jazz Flow 5 on alto, D’Addario Jazz Select 7 on tenor and a metal Otto Link 7* on baritone. On soprano I stuck with my Selmer Concept (more on this later). Hopefully you can instantly hear the change in sound of the ensemble. The jazz mouthpieces not only give more volume, but also a much brighter sound, with punchier articulation, and they allow for a more pronounced vibrato.

Without going into too much technical detail (ask in store or give Dawkes a call if you want to know more!), whilst classical mouthpieces typically smooth out the sound and reduce the effect of embouchure movements, jazz mouthpieces do the opposite, and amplify changes that you make, allowing for a wilder vibrato and larger pitch bends etc. Having both options in your arsenal is hugely important if you want to be able to slot into any playing situation.

As an aside, whilst I use the same saxophones in all settings, I do know players who have different saxophones for playing in different styles; typically choosing more free blowing instruments for jazz/pop/funk whilst opting for more refined instruments for classical.

Hopefully I’ve persuaded you that it’s worth having different setups for classical and jazz playing, but how should you go about choosing these setups? Personally, I try to find setups that feel similar in terms of resistance so that it doesn’t feel like playing a completely new instrument when I switch.

Soprano

I should mention the elephant in the room at this point, which is that I use the same setup on soprano for all styles. I play a Selmer Concept, and I find that this gives me enough power and projection when I’m required to play in a jazz style on the instrument; I find a lot of “jazz” soprano mouthpieces a little wild, and because soprano is probably the sax I play least “jazz” on, I don’t feel the gain in sound I would get is worth the difficulties taming intonation that often comes with them. If you’re playing a lot of jazz soprano you’ll want to explore this area further though!

Alto

For jazz playing on alto, I recently switched to a Selmer Jazz Flow 5, having played on a Meyer 7M for nearly 20 years. For me the Jazz Flow is somewhat of a game changer. The thing I love about it is how similar it feels to my Selmer Concept mouthpiece (which has been my go-to classical mouthpiece since it was released) and how flexible a sound it gives. I can get a much purer sound from the Jazz Flow than I can from many jazz mouthpieces, but it also has a real power and bite when you put some air down it!

Having two mouthpieces that are so well matched makes me feel really at home whether I’m on a classical gig or a jazz gig. I also think that the Jazz Flow is perfect for musical theatre work, because you can get that pure sound out of it, but also all the punch you might need! (I’ve recently done some depping on the UK tour of Hairspray, and it was perfect for this.)

Tenor

On tenor I recently discovered the D’Addario Jazz Select mouthpieces. Prior to this I’d played a variety of jazz mouthpieces, always coming back to my ebonite Otto Link 7*. In a similar way to the Selmer Jazz Flow alto mouthpiece, what I love about the Jazz Select is the ability to get a pure sound out of it, as well as to really scream when you need it to! (Incidentally the Jazz Select alto mouthpiece is also a great mouthpiece, but the Jazz Flow has the edge for me; will Selmer make a Jazz Flow for tenor at some point?!)

It’s on tenor that my two setups probably feel the most different; I find the Selmer Concept that I use for classical playing quite restrained compared with the soprano and alto versions, so in a way it feels like a bit of a release getting to scream about on the Jazz Select (on the appropriate gigs of course…). I do also occasionally use a Selmer S80 E which somewhat bridges the gap between the two.

Baritone

On baritone my preferred jazz setup is a metal Otto Link 7* which really packs a punch. It was perfect for recording the baritone feature Every Man’s Greed on my latest album which really needs some attitude. I find on this Link I can get a punchy sound for funkier playing, but it can also create a lovely mellow sound when needed. I actually play a wider classical mouthpiece on baritone (Selmer S80 E) than my other saxes, as I find it helps give a depth to the sound, and also means there is a smaller difference in feel between the Selmer and Link.

You never know when you might be called upon to play in different styles. If I don’t know what music is coming my way I tend to put on my classical setup as it gives me the most control, but I’ll happily switch over if the music demands it. A great example of this was a session I played on for the Deadpool and Wolverine film. The first take I’d put on my classical setup, but it quickly became apparent that what the composer wanted was a much brighter, poppier sound, so I switched straight over to the Jazz Flow (which I’d actually only got the day before the session!)

Summary

So, in summary, I’d recommend keeping at least a couple of mouthpieces in your arsenal so that you can be a musical chameleon and slot right into any musical setting! I’ve put some of my top picks below:

About the author:

Alastair Penman is a British saxophonist, clarinettist, composer and educator. He is Professor of Saxophone at the Guildhall School of Music and has taught guest classes at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Welsh College of Music and UCLA. Alastair’s fifth studio album, The Last Tree, will be released on World Environment Day (6/5/2025). Alongside solo work, Alastair has performed with orchestras including London Contemporary Orchestra, Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Britten Sinfonia, London Concert Orchestra and Philharmonia and his playing can be heard on film and video game soundtracks including Deadpool and Wolverine, Call of Duty and Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Alastair is a performing artist for Henri Selmer Paris, Vandoren UK, Buffet Crampon and Key Leaves.