The film, directed by Jon Kushner and shot by Jason Rodgers, features Steven Bradley Nelson as "Angelo". Angelo meets a mysterious tourist while exploring social activity groups. Really mysterious.

Angelo & Ert will be shown during the "Sunday Shorts" event at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, Sunday, October 16th, 2011. World Premiere!

Buy tickets online

For more information:

• Royal Flush Film Festival
• Angelo & Ert Official Website
• Angelo & Ert on Twitter
• Angelo & Ert on Facebook

Also, if you are new to altissimo, please learn the fundamentals of overtone production first before jumping into fingering charts. You shouldn’t have to bite or strain to do any of this. Sigurd Raschèr’s book is where I started.

Altissimo Fingering Chart

• It’s a little unclear, but the palm keys indicated in the charts, from left to right, are D, Eb, and F.
• Notation is as written for saxophone.
• Note names are in reference to saxophone range (ie. F3 is the third F from the lowest available note).

F3

This note sounds a little dodgy, but in passing this a nice alternate fingering to the standard palm high F and front F fingerings. Works well chromatically through G#3.

F#3

A nice alternate to front F. Easy transition between alternate G3 below.

G3

I usually use front F, but the alternate fingering facilitates some passages.

G#3

 

A3

In passing, I just play left hand 2 and 3 (A and G keys). Adding the pinky G# key raises the pitch and adds pop. You might like to add right hand 123 (F, E, and D keys) instead.

SOURCES: Sigurd M. Raschèr. Alternate, Lenny Pickett.

A#4

 

B4

 

C4

Left hand 3 (G key) is optional here, but I find that it adds pop, and it often minimizes finger motion in lines.

C#4

As with C4, left hand 3 is optional.

D4

I mostly use the front F. The alternate fingering pops a little better, and flows in sequence with A#4 through C#4. However, using front F resets your hand position nicely to get at D#4.

SOURCE: Alternate, Lenny Pickett.

D#4

D#4 through F#4 are simply A#4 through C#4 repeated, overblown by a fourth.

E4

D#4 through F#4 are simply A#4 through C#4 repeated, overblown by a fourth.

F4

D#4 through F#4 are simply A#4 through C#4 repeated, overblown by a fourth.

F#4

D#4 through F#4 are simply A#4 through C#4 repeated, overblown by a fourth.

G4

For me, this is the highest note to easily pop out.

SOURCE: Sigurd M. Raschèr.

G#4

I find this fingering to be a little muted.

SOURCE: Lenny Pickett.

A4

 

SOURCE: Sigurd M. Raschèr.

A#5

Try arpeggiating up to these at first.

SOURCE: Norbert Stachel

B5

Try arpeggiating up to these at first.

SOURCE: Norbert Stachel

C5

Try arpeggiating up to these at first.

SOURCE: Norbert Stachel

I haven’t worked out a decent way to get at this note yet. If you have any suggestions, please share!

D5

This is a harmonic of low Bb flat that just wants to come out.

Sources & Resources

• I created the fingering diagrams using Bret Pimentel’s wonderful Fingering diagram builder Thanks, Bret!
• Music notation created with Sibelius software
• A lot of these fingerings came from Top-Tones from the Saxophone: Four-Octave Range by Sigurd M. Raschèr. I highly recommend this book. Work through all the overtone exercises. They are critical for developing altissimo technique!
• Another great book is Larry Teal’s The Art of Saxophone Playing, with many alternate fingerings up through F4. The reed adjustment chart within is priceless!
• These Saxophone Fingering Charts are ridiculously thorough. Go through them and find what works best for you.
• The University of New South Wales has a detailed site about Saxophone Acoustics. It’s worth learning about acoustic impedance and studying their database profiling acoustic response well into the altissimo range.
• Thanks to Norbert Stachel for his expert mouthpiece refacing work and advice that has really helped with my altissimo.

I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions!

I bought my Peugeot 12-speed in tenth grade and rode it through about 2002 or so. A few years later, I put in storage because it was falling out of repair and I was too busy to use it. Last summer, I bought a Surly Cross Check, and have been cycling far more than I ever have before. The Surly is a great ride, but I might have been better off with one frame size smaller. I’ve been curious how the old Peugeot rides in comparison, so I pulled it out of storage last weekend.

1987 Peugeot Iseran

I love look of this bike in all its ’80s glory. The frame is in very good condition cosmetically, just a few nicks here and there. The hubs and drivetrain need an overhaul, though. I just have minimal upgrades planned at the moment. The old 12-speed stem shift derailleurs are nothing fancy, but for a recreational rider, they do the job just fine. I like the foam grips, but they are rock hard and slippery now. Think I’ll just have them taped.

As much as I liked the vintage gumwalls, they were falling apart. So I replaced the tubes and installed Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case tires. I trued the wheels enough to be able to ride to my favorite LBS Waterfront Bicycle Shop for an overhaul. Also, I want to be able to install a modern saddle, so I needed a new seatpost. Unfortunately, this vintage French seatpost measures 24mm, which is nearly impossible to find! Luckily, Yellow Jersey, Ltd. in Madison, WI provides custom components for vintage metric French frames. I ordered a seatpost today.

Took a spin around Fort Tryon Park today and it was the bicycle equivalent of putting on an old, broken-in sneaker. A very familiar ride. Rides a little rough compared to the Surly on account of the thinner tires and extremely stiff handlebars. But fast and nimble, even out of tune as it is, gears clacking, brake pads scraping, etc. Looking forward to the overhaul.

Keeping with the director’s desire for a film noir feel, I opened with a solo tenor saxophone stating Angelo’s theme. However, to make things really interesting (because how could I not?), I decided to execute all the music with tones created with my tenor. This included percussion, bass, guitars, and even Ert’s voice, which I gave a vintage sci-fi vibe (think old Star Trek or Godzilla). Solo saxophone gives way to an immersive world of meditation music, world music, and hardcore punk all created with my trusty Mark VI.

Here’s a quick example from an outtake:

Angelo & Ert soundtrack outtake by Kevin Danenberg (0:36) Recorded February 4, 2011

More on the Official Website

Film festival submissions are under way. I’ll make sure to let everyone know where it gets in. To view the trailer, download cool stuff, and learn more about the film, please visit the www.angeloandert.com.

The BlackTails

I’m playing in Westchester County this Friday with musical secret agents The BlackTails at a fantastic new venue The Winery at St. George. We execute a shaken-not-stirred mix of spy-genre covers and intriguing originals using lots of gadgets like guitars, keyboards, and saxophones. This week’s mission: to rendezvous in this old church converted to vineyard/jazz hall and exercise our license to chill. We play two sets, 8 PM and 10 PM. Call the venue at (914) 455-4272 for more information. Feel free to invite people to this event via our Facebook event page.

We also have a second performance at The Winery in August. You only live twice…

Duke Baxter Band

I’ve been playing for eight years with the Duke Baxter Band, masters of classic soul music who rock a party like you wouldn’t believe. It’s so hard to convey how awesome our live events are, especially when none of our promotional materials feature our amazing three-piece horn section. This September, we right this wrong by video-taping a live concert near Boston, MA in a barn perfect for partying. After years of weddings, corporate events, private parties, and even senior proms, this is our first public performance! We must fill the space, though, so this event is by invitation only — if you can commit to be there, please contact me ASAP to get on the invitation list. "Baxter Bash" is free for invitees, with beer and BBQ served.

See my Gig Calendar for a complete listing of shows.

People choose from a pool of available slots hosted by other users, who specify “Why people meet me” in their profiles, along with short bios pitching their strengths. This seems ostensibly one-sided, but it’s really just a good pretense for networking. Playing softball has been great for networking, too, but not without a sprained foot, dislocated shoulder, and a bit of bleeding — so this opportunity to network with peers with very little effort invested is very compelling!

Not sure what to expect from this site. Being a startup, there’s a good, small group of energetic people on board. I’d like to connect with fellow developers, draw inspiration from creative types, and learn more about the business side of what we do. I feel like I can give back at least something in all those areas. Looks promising!

This film by Irving Johnson shows incredible footage from a 1929 passage around Cape Horn, rare footage of an incredible journey that was somehow just part of the routine for these sailors. Johnson narrates himself, offering fascinating insight about life on board. Feeling like you had a tough day at the office? Just look at what these sailors endured! It’s mind-boggling. Even if the Peking received the $28 million it needs for refurbishment, would anyone know how to sail it like this? How many people can you think of who are as tough as nails as these guys? To think people complain about being over four blocks from the subway in the winter time! Check out the film!

Exibit A

“Going Out Of My Head” by Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66:

(EDIT: The first video doesn’t allow embedding. I can’t find a better video, so click here to watch on YouTube.)

Exibit B

“Going Out Of My Head” by Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘77:

Basically, the same arrangement. What is it about the second version that has me picturing Farrah Fawcett aiming laser scalpels at Michael York’s face in Logan’s Run? It’s sung completely differently 11 years later. And without any otherwise disco musical makeover, it exudes seventies. There are other subtle cues, too, such as the brightness and phrasing of the trumpet section.

Don’t get me wrong — I love seventies music as well as sixties. But it’s interesting how they can’t quite capture the sixties goodness of the original. So much changed in such a short time. To me, this juxtaposition isolates the change at an interesting, almost atomic level compared to say early CCR vs. Saturday Night Fever era Bee Gees.

Not that I expected otherwise from the world’s baddest good guy, but am I the only person on the entire Internet who’s noticed the reference in James Bond’s license plate number?

James Bond Aston Martin Vanquish
Photo by RaceCarBuzz

In the film Die Another Day (2002), our favorite secret servant drives an Aston Martin Vanquish with the tag "KEO2 EWW". In my opinion, a clear reference to the Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty intended to reduce global warming by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

KEO2 = Kyoto

EWW = an interjection used to express disgust

It seems to me that Mr. Bond quite disagrees with the notion of reducing his carbon emissions — enough so to warrant a vanity plate! I wonder what would be the fuel economy of a Vanquish decked out in machine guns, rockets, and armor plating?

None of this is shocking. What I find truly shocking is that no one seems to have made this connection! I Googled it expecting to confirm my hunch. Try Googling "KEO2 EWW Kyoto" or some such combination. As of this post, there are zero results. The plate is mentioned and wondered about, but no meaning attributed. And you know how movie fans are. They pick up on these things!

These things always have meaning. The Beastie Boys 3MTA3 easter egg on Licensed to Ill taught me this at an early age. (A fitting Bond reference…) Something as visible as James Bond’s license plate must have meaning. Somebody injected this inside joke with a well-deserved feeling of self-satisfaction. Am I taking crazy pills?

Nearly a decade later, I still clearly remember the media coverage George W. Bush garnered when he withdrew the United States from the Kyoto Protocol in March of 2001. This caused quite an uproar in light of his campaign promises to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Surely, this was still fresh in minds of the film crew during production of Die Another Day, which began principal photography on January 11, 2002

So why not the more obvious spelling "KYO2 EWW"? Perhaps that plate was already taken…

Untitled Slow Blues 

More on the project later, but at the moment I’m sworn to secrecy. I’m not sworn to not create a buzz, though!