The idea of buying a custom instrument can feel like eating spinach or taking an algebra test to some of you. I’ve been in the booth at many shows where someone will pick up a horn, play a note and put it back down. At that point I usually ask if I can help. “No thanks. These horns have too many options. I wouldn’t know where to start.” Those of you that have gone through the fitting process know better. We don’t just throw a pile of parts at you and ask you to choose. Instead we ask a lot of the same question: “Better or worse?” We don’t tell you what you’re playing. Ideally, we’d turn off all the lights or blindfold you so you’d have to rely entirely on your ears. But we’re worried about those of you with less-than-awesome coordination or vertigo.

To better demonstrate the fitting process, Paul Tynan agreed to be our lab rat in this abbreviated session. Thanks to Michael Clobes for filming and editing the video. Christan did some stuff, too.

“The brainchild of Nova Scotia-based trumpeter Paul Tynan and baritone saxophonist Aaron Lington from the San Francisco Bay Area, the Bicoastal Collective is a select grouping of musicians from across the U.S. and Canada. Chapter Two finds the ensemble in a quintet setting exploring improvised music inspired by the British Isles. England’s eastern coast folk melodies and their treatment in composer Ralph Vaughn Williams’ early 20th-century works, are adapted by Lington into his suite, The Ravenspurn Collection, and Tynan adds three compositions to the recording with two inspired by his own Irish roots. With a purely North American jazz aesthetic, the Collective here give new life to ancient voices.”

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The brainchild of Nova Scotia-based trumpeter Paul Tynan and baritone saxophonist Aaron Lington from the San Francisco Bay Area, the Bicoastal Collective is a select grouping of musicians from across the U.S and Canada, culled from friends and colleagues they met in the late ’90s during their days at the University of North Texas. The set of ten original swinging and far-reaching compositions stretches the sonic possibilities of the 10-piece band to imply a big band while maintaining an organic, improvisational small group feel. Chapter One features pianist Stefan Karlsson and trombonist Wayne Wallace and is the first installment of what should prove to be an interesting and entertaining story.

Musicians:

John Worley, trumpet
A Bay Area mainstay and one of the most seasoned studio musicians in Northern California.

Wayne Wallace, trombone
Another Bay Area mainstay and a former member of Joe Henderson’s big band. Recently had a nice article written about him in Downbeat Magazine (about 7-8 months ago, I believe).

Bobby Selvaggio, alto sax
Cleveland saxophonist who records on Playscape records and recently received 3.5 stars from Downbeat for an album he recorded with Kenny Werner.

Tom Luer, tenor sax
Los Angeles-based saxophonist who works frequently with Kim Richmond, Bill Holman, and recently got off the road from a tour with Queen Latifa.

Aaron Lington, bari sax
Bay Area baritone saxophonist and composer who was listed as a “Rising Star” in the Baritone Saxophone category of the Downbeat Magazines 55th Annual Critic’s Poll and was a winner of the Sammy Nestico Composition Competition.

Kevin Brunkhorst, guitar
Fantastic guitarist: as much at home with straight-ahead playing as he is with textural playing. He currently teaches jazz guitar at St. Francis Xavier Univeristy in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Stefan Karlsson, piano
Longtime pianist for Eddie Gomez, Stefan is the jazz piano instructor at the famed jazz studies program at the University of North Texas.

John Shifflett, bass
Another Bay Area mainstay who is a veteran studio musician and frequently tours and records with pianist and two-time Grammy nominee Taylor Eigsti.

Stockton Helbing, drums
A major talent, Stockton was most recently the drummer and musical director for the late Maynard Ferguson.

Once again, we’ll have Leonard Candelaria, Paul Tynan and Bill Takacs helping out with the trumpets. Chris Branagan, Christan Griego and Joshua Brown will be working with the trombone players that get too close to the booth. We’ll miss Paul Compton this year, as he’s too busy winning the Remington Choir Competition to join us.