you've got to follow through

It's time for a montage, folks. Duh duh-duh-duh duh-duh duh duh duh... (that was supposed to be the start of the theme from Rocky). I'm training like Sylvester Stallone: chasing chickens around my apartment, and punching frozen tofu (since I've given up red meat). I think there's even likelihood of a happy mob chasing me around Hollywood on the way to the grocery store. Friday is the world premiere of the Zack Hexum Trio. I've put myself on a saxophone practicing routine for the first time since skaters wore baggy pants. This blog will serve as an open letter to my neighbors thanking them for not throwing bars of soap at my door, like my suite-mates in Kerr Hall did in college. Yes, love and saxiness are in the air.

It's nothing spectacular really, I start off playing long tones, i.e. going from one note to another very slowly. Next I go through a particular minor scale through the entire range of the horn, then do the scale in thirds, and then play the arpeggio. I then repeat this drill through all twelve keys. This is the way good ol' Mr. Riggs taught me to do it, back in '97.

As an aside, Mr. Riggs, creamed-corn enthusiast, is retiring after this year. Everything I know about how to sing a melody I learned through him. He once said, and then had me repeat the phrase "the smallest increments are felt by your audience." This phrase was my "use of the force, Luke". I think he meants that the work you do matters. Johnny Jazzfan might not know that you're playing the major ninth instead of the flat nine on the half-diminished chord, but he can feel it.

My practice routine then carries on with improvising on the chord progression to a golden jazzy oldie, such as "I've Got Rhythm" in all twelve keys. I follow that up with working on memorizing the material for the upcoming gig.

Practicing saxophone makes you sweat, if you're doing it right. It's like driving up-hill in a Prius. It just takes a bit more fuel than other activities.

I've taken to watching the Tennis Channel a bit in between things. I'm hoping that some of the expertise I'm witnessing will transfer to my game. Thus far I've re-learned that 80's Andre Agassi could've been a stunt double for David Lee Roth, and that Rafael Nadal "adjusts" the back side of his capri pants a lot.

You've got to follow through on your forehand:



And on that note, it's back to running up stairs and punching Dolph Lundgren in the face.