"Sax Man" Ross Mazer Interview
Facebook.com
Interview by Roger Zee (12/04/21)
Roger Zee: What inspired you to take up the sax? Do you sing or play any other instruments?
Ross Mazer: The "Believe It or Not" theme song from the "Greatest American Hero" TV show gripped me. I remember watching the premiere in 1981 as a nine year old. Somewhere along the line they added a sax solo to it. So when I went to the fourth grade assembly where they showcased all the band instruments, I heard the saxophone and went, "That’s it!" I've pretty much played ever since.
Although I went to a high school with mandatory singing, instruments, acting, and art, I haven’t sung since then. I view that as a gift to society! I did try the violin in kindergarten but that didn’t last too long. Attempted the guitar in high school during my Metal years. But through it all, I played the sax. Up until about eleventh grade, it didn't seem to me even as important as sports. Just something I did.
But then my teacher showed me the standard Blues progression and how it formed the basis of Blues, Jazz, and most popular music. He explained that theory's great but worthless unless you play and listen to the music. That’s when I caught the Jazz bug and began seriously studying saxophone. I haven’t stopped!
RZ: Tell me about some of the musicians and groups you've gigged and recorded with.
RM: Over the last fifteen years, I played with well over a half dozen local bands from Rock, Blues, Jazz, Oldies to Soul. When I joined the Rock group "No Exit," we started playing weddings and corporate functions in addition to local municipal gigs. I performed in a great Blues band called "Livin' the Blues Band" which recorded a couple of songs. Our version of "I Can’t Be Satisfied" actually received some air play on a Long Island radio station. We also did a one hour community cable TV show on Long Island. I love the Blues.
More recently, I joined "Kick Start Charlie," an eight piece Rock cover band with a huge local following. Their shows create a high energy party! Lastly, a few years ago I got together with some local, talented musicians and formed Tequila Soul Project. We decided we really wanted to focus on the music we love to play and that people love to hear. This resulted in an amazing combination of Soul, Blues, Classic R&B, and Funk delivered in a fun style where we each get to stretch out musically.
RZ: Talk about your home studio.
RM: Not really much to speak of as far as recording, but I created a great practice space in my basement. Technology's amazing today. Just on my phone, I've got a metronome, tuner, drum machine, and Real Book with every Jazz standard complete with play-along exercises in any key. And of course there's YouTube with its slow down feature to help capture tricky solo passages. I match that up with a Bluetooth speaker and it’s practice space heaven!
RZ: What instruments and mics do you currently use?
RM: I primarily play two tenor saxophones: a Kessler Deluxe Tenor, distributed out of a company in Las Vegas, and a Yamaha YTS-52 Tenor with an upgraded neck. I use a Vandoren Jumbo Java mouthpiece. Sometimes I do some work on alto and own a Yanagisawa 901 Alto. But I have always primarily been a tenor player.
As far as microphones, I've used a Shure Beta 57A for about ten years. Best I found so far. I tried a wireless setup for awhile but the quality never seemed as good -- and sometimes didn’t work at all. So I went back to the Shure. Not much of a dancer anyway!
RZ: What and how do you practice.
RM: I practice intonation (overtones and long tones,) altissimo (high notes), technique (scale exercises), language (familiar jazz phrases, and lines (licks). I also transcribe solos by ear and learn songs by heart -- whether Jazz standards or those for an upcoming gig. A full practice session for me takes about an hour.
RZ: Do you teach music privately?
RM: Not any more. I did for a while about twelve years ago, but it got too much with the day job, etc. I felt really horrible when I had to cancel last minute for work or something.
RZ: How has the Pandemic affected you? What's on the horizon?
RM: The Pandemic's a mixed blessing. At first, very upsetting as so many gigs got cancelled one after another. Especially over the summer. However since then, I really began to use the extra time to practice. For over eighteen months, I put in 45 minutes to an hour of practice every day. NEVER so consistent with my horn in over 35 years of playing. Sure, over the years I sometimes put in two-three hours a day, but then wouldn’t touch it for a week. Consistency is king! I even worked with a Julliard grad to learn more Jazz theory. Right now I sound my best ever...
The Pandemic created an interesting gig situation. I enjoyed a very busy last summer as outdoor gigs came back in full swing. However performing indoors seems a bit different. People that go see live music and the venues that host them, such as restaurants and bars, show no interest in larger bands playing inside at this point. As a result, one to three person shows appear most popular. it's a win-win situation as the venue owners pay less for live music and the customers needn't worry too much about social distancing.
For example, my band Tequila Soul Project works a lot lately as the TSP Duo featuring Lorena Mann on vocals and myself on sax. I've even done a few gigs with my solo setup which involves playing to backing tracks. Best thing I did lately? I bought a high quality, state-of-the-art, portable PA system. The Duo and solo setup even gets people up dancing, which to me, serves as one one of the highest compliments a musician can get!
RZ: Talk more about your solo and duo gigs. How do you put together the music for them?
RM: My solo setup grew out of a time when the bands I played with did not perform much. It's something I always wanted to do, especially as the technology improved. I play weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, and local restaurants and bars. I really get to stretch out musically. It's quite a challenge to play for three hours straight and keep it interesting!
I currently use a Fishman 330X PA with a 300 watt subwoofer. Very portable but also powerful. I've never gone over 50% volume. It's got enough output for a small band. I can almost DJ with it!
As far as the play-along tracks, I collect them from a variety of sources. I'm not enough of a tech person to program anything like a MIDI track. So I always purchase them from sites that specialize in performance tracks, as opposed to practice tracks for learning, and who carry straight ahead Jazz, Smooth Jazz and Soul. Good ones can get expensive.
Recently however, I realized that people really like to hear music they know. So a few years ago I started learning Top-40 songs and receive a great reception when I play them instrumentally. Even better, I purchase great sounding karaoke tracks on iTunes for 99 cents! So if you catch me listening to Justin Bieber or Ed Sheeran, I’m doing "research!"
I recently upgraded to an iPad Pro for storing and playing the tracks. I also use it for playlists and sheet music. So much better than paper! With 1TB of memory, it contains more capacity than any laptop I’ve ever owned!
Last year during the pandemic, full-band gigs indoors really started to dry up. We started seeing more two-person live music offered indoors. The singer in Tequila Soul Project, Lorena Mann, had heard my solo setup and wanted to see if we could expand it to include her on vocals. We easily accomplished this as much of my repertoire includes songs that Tequila Soul Project plays. And the result's been fantastic!
Lorena has a great voice and a strong following. Venues seem more receptive to the two of us rather than just some guy with a horn! We decided to call this mini version of Tequila Soul Project the "TSP Duo." We play wineries, bars, restaurants, private parties, and even open house sales parties for brokers! We get lots of bookings.
RZ: Describe your most special and/or unusual gig.
RM: So many crazy stories over the years. From "interesting" people and places, to long drives home in the wee hours of the morning. Not to mention playing for literally thousands of people, such as at the Peekskill Jazz and Blues Festival.
However I've always felt it a special honor to play at weddings. People seem to look down on musicians who do that. But I always love taking part in one of the most special days in a couple’s life. So much love and hope for the future in the air. And people DANCE! I once heard a Rabbi say that he chose his profession in order to share with people the most dynamic parts of their lives -- both good and bad. When I play weddings I understand exactly what he meant!
RZ: How do you see the future of the music business?
RM: Hate to say it, but I’m happy to work a day job. The streaming services do great for the consumer, but seem to short change all but the top artists. Local gigs pay the same as they did in the 1970’s. Very hard to watch other musicians struggle to get through the Pandemic. Fortunately, technology creates as well as destroys -- from live-streamed performances to home recording studios and YouTube channels. The musicians who take the most advantage of technology will do the best. There's a lot to the music business -- from local networking to the big recording companies. Much more than I know. But first things first. Become a really good musician!
RZ: What advice do you give up-and-coming musicians?
RM: Playing sure beats not playing. In other words, if you’re up and coming, don’t turn down any opportunity to perform -- even if it’s not the music you particularly like. Especially then! That’s part of a professional musician's job. I repeated that to myself many times over the years!
RZ: Do you live with any animals?
RM: My lovely wife Beth and I live with a black and white cat named Shmuley. We've always been cat people and had up to five cats at one point!
RZ: Anything else you'd like to add?
RM: In conclusion, none of this would've happened for me without music education in schools. So sad seeing that it's one of the first things cut during budget problems. Many music greats got their start here. More importantly, especially for those who may not continue to play music after school, it increases music awareness and appreciation. I just can’t tell you how many people come up to me after a gig saying they played sax, trumpet, or whatever in school and loved hearing it!
YouTube - "Shotgun" - Tequila Soul Project
YouTube - "Walkin' to My Baby" - Livin' The Blues Band
©2021 Roger Zee
