JASON CAME TO his favourite saxophone – the soprano – by a roundabout route. Like most school saxophone-players, he began on the compact and manageable alto. When he grew and his lungs strengthened, he took up the hefty baritone sax, to play the low-pitched parts in the all-sax quartet his music teacher ran. But as he found out more about jazz, Jason’s interest in the soprano was revived. By 15 he was ready to cope with the smaller instrument’s particular challenges for a budding player – the soprano puts different pressures on the muscles of the mouth to the other saxes, and can be harder to play in tune at first.
