What Happened to New York's Famed Music District?
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- Опубліковано 4 лис 2019
- #bettersax #saxophone #saxrepair
Jay Metcalf shares a conversation with Roberto of Roberto's Winds where they discuss saxophone repair and the heyday of Music Row in New York City.
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95% Roberto talking and 5% Jay Metcalf, just what a brilliant interview should sound like. Great video Jay. I’ll be in NYC in May next year and I’ll make sure I pass by this survivor sax mechanic.
thanks Thierry.
you probably dont give a shit but if you guys are stoned like me during the covid times you can watch all of the new movies on Instaflixxer. Have been streaming with my gf these days =)
@Merrick Nash yea, I've been watching on instaflixxer for since november myself :D
My Mark VI fell out of the case and was seriously bent after the Titanic anniversary tour in 2011. But miraculously we docked in New York the next day within walking distance of Roberto's, who I had never heard of, not being American. He dropped everything and fixed it in three hours for only $300.00 then the ship sailed for France. That's how I found Roberto and his amazing shop.
Nice story
Wow, great memories. I was in a jazz program in NYC in the early 90s. A friend of mine introduced me to Roberto. One day I went into the shop to say hi and Roberto said, "Hey, have you met Ornette?" That's the day I met Ornette Coleman. Awesome period of my life.
Wow! Ornettte!!
so jealous
Roberto is the best! His work is amazing, knowledge is deep. I just bought a tenor MK VII from Roberto and he and his son were nothing but great. Helpful, not pushy, made tweaks I wanted on the spot, and a great horn, despite what many say about the VIIs, Roberto knew this one was a great horn! Even offered to tweak after the sale as I got used to horn, which I will take them up on. You don't get service like at Roberto's many places, especially in NYC. Many shops are not as open and inviting, many repair places are very limited to overhauls only, or just not easy to get on with. Every time I walk into Roberto's they immediately make you feel welcome, no matter who you are.
definitely a welcoming vibe and atmosphere there.
I met Roberto 6 years ago. He gave me one of the best reeds I have had.
If any of you sax players are touring or living in the Netherlands, a great repairman [and player] has opened a shop called 'Blaaswerk', in Meppel, the Netherlands. Nice collection of old horns, over-halls, and lots of classic mouthpieces! Highly recommended..
just found this thread_ -great interview. I knew 48th street from the 60's. I was a keeh high school music student when I visited Manny's. There was an amazing huge conntrabass sax im the shop window, with an Eb sopranino sideways across the bell of the bass! I bought my first new pro horn there, a Buffet R13 at age 16- still playing it 57 years later!
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this story, full of patina, atmosphere, and enjoyment! Thanks for your commitment, Jay!
Every time I find myself passing through 48th St between 6th and 7th Avenues, the experience is just... harrowing. All those building simply destroyed, with just a thin layer of bricks left on the ground. That said, I think most of the stores are still around or have changed names, all except Sam Ash in somewhere in the same neighborhood. But when everybody was on the same BLOCK (except Roberto’s two blocks away), that was priceless. R.I.P. music row.
TB winds in Denton Texas -- great shop just to go out an hang out and chat. Would love to get to Robertos some day.
Goldie & Libro in New Haven CT circa ~1995 on Chapel street. My dad had a struggling clothing business a few stores down on the same block. We weren't well off by any means back then, but still, when I was nine he scraped to buy me a Yamaha YAS-21 from a pawn shop and brought it to them for a repair. Sal Libero was the owner, and while I didn't appreciate it as a 4th grader, the guy had played with Glenn Miller's and Les Brown's band. His store was huge, old, the carpet smelled dank and the wood floors creaked when you stepped on them. There were all sorts of instruments but saxophones seemed to have been given a special treatment on the wall behind the counter.
My dad paid for me to take lessons each week for a middle school summer with him. It didn't occur to me we'd be spending the whole time on embouchure. He taught me to vary pressure and wiggle it to get a sort of vibrato out of the tone. His saxophone was an old Selmer, mud brown and worn in (I don't remember what model it was). He seemed to really value it, and I get the sense it had been with him a long time.
In high school, my Yamaha's pads were coming loose, pearls had fallen out, my thumb-rest was just a coverless cavity, and the thing needed an overhaul. Again my dad took it to Sal and they did the work. Sal passed away in 2011, followed by my dad three years later. The store moved to another location elsewhere in CT but the memory of that shop and the smell is burned into my memory.
I haven't had the Yamaha overhauled or repaired since Sal. Before I graduated high school, my dad sprung again and gifted me a Yanagisawa 991, which I treasure as much as the Yamaha. Life went on and I had fallen off playing for a while, working, raising a family. My daughter is 6 years old now, and out of nowhere I thought I'd show her the Yamaha and tell her the story of how "When daddy was little, we didn't have a lot, but your grandpa found a way and got me this saxophone. If you can show me you can put the work in to learn how to play it, I'll teach you, and it can be yours." The Yamaha isn't an expensive sax, you can get a near mint one for $500 on ebay. But, this one is something special, and Goldie & Libro are a big part of why.
Me and my school skipping buddy went to that area circa 2006 quite a few times and the day we finally entered the repair shops it was like being in a candy store for a 4yr old because you're allowed to try so many well repaired vintage horns. NYC has lost so much of itself in so little time 💔
I love the pasta strainer on his workbench. One could only guess what it is used for? You can take an Italian out of Italy, but you'll never take Italy out of an Italian!
I had my father's, unbeknownst to me, late 1920s/early 30s-ish (?) Conn Transitional Tenor Sax, which hadn't been played in close to 60 years if not more, repaired/refurbished by Roberto's earlier this year. It was in really bad shape to type the least. To say that I was thrilled with how it turned-out would be a colossal understatement.
They're all; Roberto, Nicolo, Andres and Manuel, so nice/such great people! They kept me appraised of the repairs and sent me pictures throughout the process, for which I am forever grateful.
I don't play sax (I play guitar), so I can't really enjoy it the way a saxophonists would, but I can tell you that Andres certainly made it sing in a video he to sent me when it was done!
I can't thank them enough!
Roberto is the best! I've always taken my horns to him and bought all of my gear. Whatever he told me to do or buy I listened. Now that I'm back to playing again I will be visiting his shop! Miss him. Great guy!!
Jay, we have just been to Roberto's and stood in the Mark VI room, Roberto's son was most informative and helpful . As someone from Northern Ireland, it was great to be able to see first hand what your video was about, Thank you.
I used to hit up these stores when I first moved to NYC. Sam Ash, Manny's, Int'l Woodwind & Brass, etc. I played a contrabass sax that sat in the corner window of the last, which was on the 2nd floor overlooking Times Square. I had played bass sax in college so this beast wasn't a big stretch. It was fun!
Years later I brought my tenor there and tried out every mouthpiece in the shop. I paid wayyy too much for the one I settled on. However I still play that piece so I'd do it all over again if given the choice.
Thanks for the interview Jay!
I bought a flute and took music lessons from Sam Ash's place; 2nd floor in the building right next to Sam Ash's main entrance; Fred Glantz, who worked for Sam Ash, was my teacher, 50 years ago. Sam Ash was short, portly, and bald with gray hair. I grew up in mid-town Manhattan, lived and worked there the first 57 years of my life. I loved 48th street, browsing all the music stores. My uncle owned a town home on 48th off 8th, and I lived on 39th st and 9th, Hell's Kitchen. Those were the days when Manhattan was The Place.
I own 2 Selmer Mark VI saxes. I inherited them from my older brother who spent years searching music row for the perfect sounding Mark VI, a sound like Getz had. I have been in and out of those stores many times with him and got to know some of those folks, and also saw professional jazz musicians there too. It was a very interesting time and place.
Fascinating - and I'm not even a horn player! I shudder to think of all the hours and stress to build up his business. Guys like him are to be treasured. I wish Roberto well and hope that his success continues.
I went to Roberto's around 4 or 5 years ago looking to buy my first baritone. I didn't end up buying with him but the experience at his store was definitely the best out of all the ones I visited.
Great interview ... I felt like I got to know the famed Roberto a little bit. He seems like the real deal ... very genuine, knowledgeable, and a real gentleman.
Thanks. he is all that.
This is a great interview! I was just there last month with my daughter! They were awesome! They let my daughter try a few saxophones. We had a great chat with Roberto and he was so kind to my daughter!!
Drove up to NYC from Baltimore in 1967 to buy a tenor. In the parking garage we parked right next to a van that had Jr. Walker and the All Stars painted on the side.... Manny's sold saxes for 40% off. Couldn't decide between a King Silversonic or Mark VI which both played great and cost $600. Bought the Silversonic, which was a beautiful looking horn. If I knew how expensive MarkVI's would get I would have got my parents to lend me money to buy a bunch of them. Went to Roberto's a couple years ago and he sold a 1965 Mark VI for me. Being back in NYC after many many years was a trip. Thank you Roberto for selling my horn.
My favorite repair shop is Marshall Music in Allen Park Michigan. Big shout out to Sax repair man Dale.
This guy worked on all the cats horns back in the day including Stan Getz. This guy does amazing work!
Thanks Jay that brings back so many memories for me from the 80’s and 90’s
I went there from Australia . I cringingly remember tracking down Michael Brecker at South Side Seven to ask him what mpc he uses. He was very nice to me and said “ Dukoff D8 but it’s more than the mouthpiece “. .........
The outstanding memory from those shops Sam Ash, Robertos, Art Shell, Manny’s and others I have forgotten, was how helpful and caring they all were. It was a real community. Thanks again
Used to go into NYC at Thanksgiving time by bus with my dad. We'd go to every music store to see the latest and greatest of everything. As a trumpet player it was hard to find a store with any stock beyond the band rentals. NYC used to have stores of every instrument imaginable. Mouthpieces, mutes of every make & brands, gig bags of all makes...everything. I'd always go back to my high school and hear "Wow, where did you get that gig bag". My dad played guitar and sometimes we'd just listen to people trying out instruments. I remember hearing slap bass in the early 80s at Manny's and I thought "Thats probably going to be popular!"
I recently brought my daughter on a long weekend and there was...nothing. Just the same stupid clothes stores that are in any mall. Oh, and an M&M store. Not sure how serious wind players try out horns these days.
I'm a Brass performer as well. I've got fond memories of occasionally visiting that "Music Row" neighborhood in NYC. Sad to be learning of the changes (via this video & the discussion comments).
Jay, the style of your presentations and the musicians in your universe who you share with us are the substance of your popularity! Thanks!
Thanks Marv.
Bob Berg told me to see Roberto in early 80s because Saul had to take time off and I needed to take my horn to Europe and I was anxious. Roberto was such a gentleman to me I continued to see him during my time living in NYC. Saul was like my sax Psychiatrist and some of you will understand what I mean.
Great interview, awesome to hear about how he learned his trade, and the legends that used to visit Roberto. Hope to visit NYC next year, will defo stop by the shop.
Kev the repair guy in Crowthers, Canterbury ,Kent, England, keeps my mk VI in great shape.
Many Thanks Jay.
I went the first time to Roberto in the 90's. He looked like Antonio Banderas and there were beautiful vintages saxes hanging on the walls. Signed pictures of all m'y sax idols..i was so impressed.
I went back in the 2013. I was a little bit disapointed. I wanted a specific Otto link mpc and i had a clerk who did not understand anything to mpc..other times..
Merci pour ce petit voyage .😌
I think Saul Fromkin was incredible. He repaired quite a few of my horns after he retired to Sarasota, FL. There were so many pictures of greats in his workshop I knew was working with one of the greats. Sadly, he passed away several years ago, but I still have a repair tag on one of my sopranos that I will never remove just to always remind me of Saul.
Hi, Jay. it's a very interesting video indeed. I was so happy as long as I was listening to it. Roberto the way he was expressing his experiences & telling about the changing times is a true nostalgia. Jay, you are creating such interesting videos. I have subscribed to your channel long before. Seeing all your videos. They are all so informative as well as Inspiring. I am learning so much. Keep up your untiring work Jay. We LOVE you.
Thank you for sharing. My favorite saxophone shop here in Houston Texas Fleming’s 🎶🎶🎷 USA 🇺🇸
This shop is awsome! I was there in 2011 when in NYC and dream with the day I can visit again.
I Bought my MK VI alto used at Pontes Music in 1974.I needed a good alto for college, it was the only one they had at the time, I am still playing it its awesome. Also, while I was there I purchased a Hard Rubber Berg tenor mpc with a cracked shank for 4 bucks took it home fixed the crack with epoxy glue and played it for10 years. Miss those stores I was thinking of taking my tenor to Roberto's back in February before this pandemic happened maybe when all is well I will. Great interview Jay.
That was a really nice video. Thanks Jay. Enjoyed that.
Came to NYC in 2007 to buy a soprano. After trying out over 60 horns in the various shops over the week I purchased a 1987 Yanigasawa Elimona from Jon Baltimore. Every time I have visited since, I would take time to visit and he always remembered me from all those years ago. We would catch up, sometimes with some wine that was open 'after hours' and talk shop/music/life. It hurts that most of that connection is lost from a once-great scene.
Love the tuxedo cat at 3:24! Great interview, thanks!
Many memories, brought my first trumpet at Mannys. Can't forget about Giardinelli around the corner and upstairs on W.46St. Brass heaven. As a teenager I got to bounce a lot questions off the Pros . Thanks for the post
Great video! Thanks for taking me back in time briefly! I remember those days back in the 80's. My brother and I used to take the bus to Port Authority and then hike to 48th (&46th) street to check out the shops, try out some horns and then would go visit our dad at his work on 48th. All the shop owners were very encouraging, opened our eyes to the world of music from the perspective of horns. Shout out to Jim Camardello in Dolgeville, NY and Tim Glessman at Sax Alley in Windsor , CO.
thanks William
Wow! Thanks for this video! I remember how much I enjoyed hanging out at Rod Baltimore sax store on music row. It felt personal when doing business and it was so cool running into professional musicians, students, and even tourists!
That's where I used to repair horns 15 years ago.
i really enjoyed this video thanks that was super interesting a must go place!
Wooow! Amazing memories from college times :) Is just a pure flashback
Thanks Jay, great interview, relaxed and entertaining. Roberto's looks like saxophone heaven to me.
Thanks
48th street is where I got my first mouthpiece, at Rod Baltimore, it was an incredible experience, very intimidating for a novice horn player. Today I go with my son to get his Martin Comm III repaired at Lee's Saxworx in San Francisco. It's an amazing shop that reminds of the old repair shops that are now long gone in New York. Lee's work is fantastic and he takes my son's horn as a priority knowing that he has a gig around the corner.
Loved loved LOVED this one Jay! Well done buddy
Thank you
Great video. thanks! My guy used to be Alexander Kolpecki at Wind Instrument Center around the corner from the 48th St shops. Bought my first 'real' tenor there, a '36 Balanced Action. He closed that shop a few years back and moved it into his New Jersey home, and he no longer seems to be reachable. My main repairman now is Peter Bannon who operates out of his home in Nyack NY.. Great guy.
I think the same is happening in the U.K, after getting ripped off a couple of times 30 years ago I started getting interested in maintenance and repairing sax, flute and Clarinet. 30 years later I continue to teach and repair. Many of the full time repairers have gone now. I notice now that customers are travelling longer distances to me as their local repairers retire or go out of business.
I haven't experienced much in terms of repair shops, but my favorite so far has to be Carl's Pro Band shop in Bloomington, IL. They are great repair men and their instruments aren't that bad either. I bought my pro saxophone over at that shop and I love the horn.
Jay, this is one of your finest. Awesome man!
Thank you Mark
This was beautiful, thank you! I miss hearing thess old stories from my dad and his friends. I don't play sax, my best friend does and we watch your channel together, but I've always gone to Stein on Vine for my luthier work. They work on a multitude of instruments and I know if they cant do the job, they will know a reputable person that will.
Thanks for watching. I've been to Stein on Vine, cool shop.
Wow great interview I really enjoyed it thankyou.
thank you Tina
Awesome vid! Shoutout to Music Scene; the repair tech is amazing and has really mastered his craft over 45 years!
thanks Chase
My favorite repair shop is TBwinds in Denton Texas. The owners Tony and Jen are fantastic!
I used to go to that district often with my dad, whose repairman was Charlie Ponte. He was way before Roberto, Saul, Rod Baltimore, etc. Great area for saxophone enthusiasts and professionals alike.
48,47,46 St. Music stores ware my favotite places in TimeSquare area and the whole NY back in the late 80's and 90's..I really love to kill time there. Wish I could go back in time...So much memories, musical instruments, celebreties and wanted to be like dreams... That lovely enviorement should had been preserved.
Great video, many thanks!
CONGRATS in the BIRTHDAY of J. Adolf Sax (06/11/1814) in Belgium, for you Jay, and for Roberto's... and for all the saxplayers of the world!!
Thanks for your work. Bless from Argentina!
thanks Cristian
Great video Jay. Again.
thank you Mark
Just bought some of Roberto's reeds recently, and they're really great! I started playing the 2.5 Mediums on my Durga 5 tenor 8 piece instead of V16 2.5's
Great video Jay, here in the UK I have had my Selmer SA80 rebuilt by Steve Crow and my vintage Selmer Modele 22 rebuilt by Alistair Hansons company, both top repair guys. Thanks again for the video
thanks Bob
I remember buying my SBA Alto (1948) in that “music row“ in 2004. I don’t remember, actually, at which store, as I‘ve been to all of them during my studies at The New School. But I still love it and it’s my all time favorite.
Back then, James Carter used to hang out at those places. I remember to literally bump into him everytime I was buying reeds or something… He used to say: “You are going to become good“ or things like that to anybody entering the room, wearing funny clothes like one day an emerald green silk training suit… 😂
At Roberto‘s I got my ligature. It was a Francois Louis thing, the way to go at that time in New York. I remember talking to him about the lacquer and that it indeed was a difference (that’s what he said). I ended up buying the golden one and was happy with that, until the lacquer wore off… 😉 Took me five years to switch to Vandoren Optimum, which I use until today. But Roberto is really a great guy. Good vibes!
Thanks for sharing. I went to Robertos and tried several Mark Vis! Incredible shop.
Loved this video !!! My favourite repair man, for my old Chu Berrys is Daniele Bergese, Monforte d'Alba, Italy...wow..
I bought an old Albert system Eb sopranino clarinet as a knick-knack from Roberto's as well as a Buffet alto clarinet. I bought a Ria metal baritone sax mouthpiece from Rod Baltimore's store. I enjoyed going into the stores and looking at all the horns. Good times.
not many stores exist where you can still find that sort of thing.
Great video, thanks!
thanks
Great interview. Randy Jones (Tenor Madness in Iowa) does great work and puts out his own line of incredible tenor and bari saxes.
thanks
Oh does this bring back memories! Most of the woodwind mouthpieces I have used over the years were tried out and purchased on Music Row, had work done on horns there, just hung out, the usual. What a place! Whenever I've visited NYC since I moved from there, every time I came back there - fewer and fewer of these great musical icons have remained each year until now, when they are basically gone. Some might say New York (and the Times Square area) is better now, but I kinda miss the old energy and grit. Too much Disneyland for me anymore
. A shout out to Gary Underwood in Florida, who I know from our days together in the Army Band, Pete Landy in Brooklyn (who still does the work on my bassoon -all the from Chicago) and especially, to Paul Maslin in Evanston, IL who recently did an unbelievable overhaul on my Mk6 bari.
PM woodwinds is an incredible shop. I was there last year and was testing some pieces and horns, they had a 62k serial MK6 tenor that was absolutely unbelievable.
I went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the 80s and on the first day I went to take a leak and read the following «poem» on the bathroomwall: «There once was a man named Berk, who didn't like to work. So he founded a college of musical knowledge, and now we're supporting the jerk» :-). Anyway, at that time everybody who became anybody was studying there: Jeff Watts, Smitty Smith, Dave Kikoski, Donald Harrison, Wallace Rooney, Ira Coleman, Makoto Ozone etc. Mike Stern played every Monday at Michaels, Scofield with Nussbaum and Steve Swallow on Tuesdays, Lovano at the 1369, those were the days. I had my horn done by the great Emilio Lyons. Now my favourite repairman is Max Frei in Munich. This guy really knows his stuff.
Awesome topic!
thanks
Never been to NY, but I'll have to make a point to check that place out if I get there. And if I make it there, I'll make it anywhere.
Sam Ash was my favorite store to go for instruments in the 70’s. Ah... the memories. 😎👀🙏🏽👍🏽
Wow! That was very cool Jay.
thanks
Great video. I use to kill time going to those shops after school. Perry Ritter is still up the block on 47th but that's a very small setup. Jimmy Yan on 54 street did repairs on my clarinets. Sad when he passed in the mid-2000's. I would often see Broadway players, and guys from the orchestra/Ballet as well. Was more of a classical scene. I wanted to learn repair but nobody was looking for an intern when I finished hs. Nobody took over his shop. It just closed suddenly... =(
I bought a Conn Bari Sax from Robertos a few decades ago! It played like butter!
those old Conns are the best.
Great video! Super interesting. Roberto fixed my horn back in the mid 90's. Hey Jay, how about a video about YOUR story living in New York??!!!
I used to live in NY and play a few instruments. I used to go into Sam Ash (in both NYC Music row store and the store they used to have in Brooklyn) and both play and listen to people play guitars. Manny's was a great place and I was so impressed with the pictures on the wall of the Beatles in the store (they went there when they were in NYC for the Sullivan show). Plenty of others, now just a memory. When I got a job near 48th street, I used to spend a lot of time with a buddy from work where he would buy guitars and basses regularly during lunchtime and pick them up after work. I just loved walking down 48th street and just seeing what was going on. A good many times you would see a "famous" musician and had to act like it was nothing (and I would be jumping up and down inside from excitement). I can wax poetic on those times especially the ability to try things out, but having the ability to order things like reeds, strings, ... (at a good price) and have them delivered to my front door is pretty cool too.
Damn. I've walked by this place but never knew it existed. Making a trip to NYC in December so it's on my itinerary now. Thanks Jay for highlighting this business!
definitely worth a visit
Thanks for the video. I visited all of them in NYC when I was a kid in the 1970's. In fact I sold my tenor for $50 in the 1980's to one of the stores. Been away from NYC so not sure what's there now.
I went to high school in central New Jersey in the early 80s, and I used to take a bus into Port Authority and walk to Ponte Music to buy mouthpieces. I got some good pieces there, and I was fearless! I was 16, and thought nothing of spending an hour or two trying out mouthpieces.
Great interview, Jay! Back in the day and living in NE Jersey, Art Shell , Charles Ponte , Mannys were my places to go especially for mpcs and reeds! I still play my metal Lawton 7* BB bari mpc I bought at Manny's Music for $50 back in 1971! You could start to see the scene was changing around that time when Mannys started this "No trying out mouthpieces on Saturdays!" thing. Just to accommodate their preference of selling guitars and keyboards!!
Thanks
Mannnn!!! You totally should do a review or at least a play text on one of those saxophones that he makes!!! I think that would be super cool 😁 thanks for the outstanding videos you constantly put out!!!
Roberto & his son Nicky are wonderful people. Kind generous honest & very talented. You need anything for your Horn you must go to Roberto's. They are at a new Location now check out their new address.
My Boston area is damn near a sax desert. No idea why, it's not like it's out on some remote tundra. I try to get to know the local techs, and they're sparse. David French Music is 23 miles to the west. They do a boatload of school rentals and have a real machine shop. They also have a helpful young lady who last week helped me find a ligature to fit a baritone mouthpiece. Dan Kellerman is 20 miles north. He works out of a suburban residence and did a nice job expanding the neck tenon on my '20s Martin C-mel. Robert Drinkwater is 20 miles northeast, working out of a tiny shop wallpapered in old photos of himself and other musicians. He tuned up my Yamaha 23 alto. There's another place 17 miles to the northeast, but I haven't been there yet. The proprietor was apparently a clarinet prodigy, but now does mostly woodwind & strings rentals and sales. I haven't been there yet. Rayburn in Boston used to be the hot spot, but I think they've moved and maybe all the old guys have retired, I don't know. At my age I try to stay out in the 'burbs if possible.
There are loads of school rental/lesson places around, and shops where one can buy reeds as long as they're Rico or Vandoren, but repairmen are pretty sparse. Most places ship repair jobs to shops out of state, which isn't ideal, since I like to deal with the repair guy myself.
Jack Finucane in Boston. He did a great job overhauling my Mark VI. Bob Drinkwater's a great guy with lots of good stories to go with those photos, and easy to get in touch with. Also, Emelio from Rayburn's lives in Lexington, MA but not sure if he's still working and he might be hard to get in touch with.
Wow! Next time I go back to NYC, I gotta stop by this place. Actually, my Tenor that I still play on, I bought from Rod Baltimore. My old tenor, was from Sam Ash. Yeah 48th street was a place to drool! However, I for what ever reason used to get my horn repaired by Dr. Rick, in The Village. The first time I went to him, for a dry rot issue on my pads, I took out my horn. He looked at it and exclaimed "how is your cat!" (sigh!). He is no longer at that location either :o(
That's the shop I used to work in Rod Baltimore's New York Woodwind and Brass.
@@bettersax Monde petite! Bought it there circa 1992, your video made me so sentimental, that I had to go play on it, the same horn YTS23 ( but saving up for a 62iii). You guys were always so great! Is it possible you worked on it? It was and is second hand. Small world indeed. Now I am in your fantastic online course, loving it!
I love this! I visited the 48th in early 2009. My only trip to NY and it was beautiful, all the stores were still working but near the end:/ its so sad to see what happened. I remember i bought an Ebow in Manny's and a delay pedal in Sam ash. Im a guitarist lol
thanks
A great italian! Grazie Roberto, thanks Jay!
This video could have been longer, I enjoyed it so much.
HAPPY SAX-DAY!!!
(06/11/1814- J.A. SAX birthday in Belgium)
A really interesting video. Enjoyed it. Shout out to Giant Steps in Chattanooga, TN. They did a great job reworking my 1938 Selmer Paris Balanced Action. Thanks for the great videos you always put out Jay!
Thanks!
It's the same thing happening in California! My local privately owned music stores I went to as a kid have gone out of business or went online only or moved states. Costs. State costs, taxes and just costs deplete these places. Rent control and how this gentleman had a good relation with the owner of the building under him helped him a lot. Government's are destroying these historical shops that are so unique. Small businesses are becoming a thing of the past. Music and arts which is owned by guitar center which also owns wwbw.com, buys out smaller local stores because they know they can't make it. And it's a pity gesture. People don't want the experience of going to the store and blowing on a horn and sucking at it. Parents use their prime and buy a Chinese knock and hand it to their kid. My parents did that for my sax, when I started 9th grade. But on my flute I started 4th grade they went to the local store and got help from the owner to make a smart decision. And I love the sacrifice they did for that instrument and the many many hours I played on that thing till it can't no more. I'll always keep it because of that. You develop connections going to a store and getting your first instrument, and even more going back. Playing honor bands after with that flute, and seeing my parents be proud is the entire reason music and the arts needs to be a priority. The more the ideology and values of families is destroyed by media and main stream ideas destroys these opportunities for kids to grow and become closer with their parents as time goes on. Playing an instrument is hard, takes time, a lot of practice, commitment and a mom that annoys you to death to play. Kids today don't get that. A kid will play it for 2 months in the school year and tell their mom they don't want to play it anymore. Mom tells dad that little Jimmy is quiting and cuz dad doesn't know what goes on because he works so much and is busy he just goes along. And so they try to sell that cheap chinese instrument on let go, offer up Craigslist and any other site, for close to what they paid. Saying it was barely used, and basically new. Just look at the ads near you. It fits the bill. And the parents don't care cuz they only paid 200 bucks for it. That's the cost of shoes to them. Knowing now that my parents spent 1000$ on my flute new. I know why my mom was hard on me to practice. Hard on me to take care of it. Hard on me to do the best I can with it and gave me opportunities to expand. My parents invested in me with that flute, and I invested back by doing the best I could. And they held me accountable. Music is more than just a hobby, a job, a career, or anything else. It's about connections you make around you through music. Being accountable to that is why we need music and the arts. And why parents need to know why their kid should play an instrument, and why they should go to a store to talk to a knowledgeable staff member about instruments, and not just some guy paid hourly to restock items, and only knows each name of each instrument, and what he was told in a booklet. Music is best when shared. If you read this far wow you're cool, or just needed a long read. Thanks, my rant is over. I live in California and see what small businesses go through first hand and how music is changing here and how family life and norms are changing and it's sad. Hopefully I didn't make you sad tho lolol
A great interview Jay. Thanks for taking us back in time to hear some stories about the "Good Old Days.
thanks
I began studying with Joe Allard in 1965 and would walk through 46th and 48th streets surrounded by music stores. Ponti's and Links and Lawn, and of course Manny's were frequent stopping places. I purchased my Mark 6 tenor at Manny's. Joe called Teddy who was in charge of the woodwind section and told him I would be coming over in a few minutes and that he should give me a tenor to take to Joe's. I walked in and Teddy gave me the tenor with no proof of identy or security deposit! I walked the tenor back to Mr. Allard's studio; he played it -did not like it and sent me back to try another. This happened 3 times before he found one he liked. I am still playing it!
Nick Engleman was the repair man at Links and Lawn-upstairs across from Manny's. He told me that in the 1940's he would average making $250 per day fixing the instruments of the big band players that would come through Manhattan. His shop was the only place you could buy Oliveri reeds.
Ponti's was really a specialty store for double reed players, but a great place to purchase reed adjusting tools.
Patelson's and G. Schirmer's were 2 great placed to browse and purchase music, unfortunately, both are also gone. I feel very lucky to have been able to experience these places. All gone as much of retail is replaced by internet stores.
Did you know Matt Campbell when you worked at Roberto's? His parents and I taught music together.
Bought my CG mouthpiece there. Really good place.
I ended up getting the Zephyr overhauled by Jon Baltimore (Rod's son-but there's no comparison.) I've bought several instruments from Jon over the years, starting in 1980, when I first came to NYC. I'm still a regular at Jon Baltimore's International Woodwind and Brass music store.
Great video! Love my local repair shop Solar Music in Sydney, Australia! 🎉🎉
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It was great going to all the midtown places. Saul Fromkin was my guy and just super kind. And i would
meet so many of the great name guys but also met unbelievable players that no one heard about but
were big in the studio and broadway scene. The Latin guys.... It was wonderful. And I remember
When Roberto started and he is wonderful. I bought a silver Mark VII tenor from him and he did a great
job on it. It warms my heart to see him in it and innovating-great vibe. Shout out to the guys at I.K.
Gottfried Musik in Copenhagen,Denmark.
You'll have to tell me more NY stories next time Bob.
You have to tell yours Jay!
Great stuff! And just as much a mini film on Manhattan culture/ history as it is on the sax
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I went to Jon Baltimore's (Rod's son I'm guessing) and it was a nice place. I went there with my sax teacher and I guess they've known each other for a while because he repaired my sax no charge. Good guy. This was 11 years ago when I was still a beginner student and middle schooler. But it amazed me that such a friendship could exist between musicians. Granted the repair wasn't all that complicated, it was nevertheless a kind gesture.
Jon is a good guy.