ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Episode 014
From the groundbreaking Lyricon of the 1970s to today's Roland Aerophone, Tom's distinctive electronic wind sounds have shaped countless recordings across jazz, pop, and film scores for decades.
The continuation of our in-depth conversation with this legendary musician reveals fascinating insights about his approach to technology and musicianship. "What would best benefit the music?" Tom asks, explaining that wind controllers have always been just another tool in his arsenal, alongside saxophones and other woodwinds. This pragmatic philosophy has guided his five-decade career, allowing him to bring precisely the right sound to each musical situation.
Tom shares colorful stories about watching Michael Brecker perform with the EWI at the Hollywood Bowl, his collaboration with Herb Alpert (who Tom credits with "reintroducing horns back into pop music" in the 1960s), and his ongoing quest to recapture the magic of his original Lyricon sound with modern technology. His description of searching for authentic expression amid endless digital possibilities will resonate with electronic musicians of all stripes.
What truly distinguishes Tom's approach is his focus on musical expression rather than technological novelty. As he explains, of the hundreds of available sounds on modern wind controllers, he only cares deeply about the handful that allow him to express himself authentically. This quality-over-quantity philosophy serves as a valuable compass for musicians navigating today's overwhelming array of digital options.
The conversation also delves into practical territory, with Tom and hosts Matt and Alistair exchanging tips on customizing Aerophone settings, adjusting key functions, and solving common playability challenges. These technical insights offer immediate value for wind controller players seeking to optimize their instruments.
Ready to dive deeper into Tom Scott's world? Follow his podcast "Tom Scott's Podcast Express," tune into his weekly radio show "Hang Time with Tom Scott" on KJAZZ (www.kkjz.org), or connect with him on social media @TomScottJazzman. His website tomscottmusic.com serves as a hub for all his creative endeavors. Subscribe now and join us for future episodes exploring the wonderful world of wind controllers!
If you'd like to send us a question for an upcoming episode, please email us at info@aerophoneacademy.com
Or leave us a voice message that we can include in the podcast here.
For more information about Matt, visit www.patchmanmusic.com
For great Aerophone courses, visit www.isax.academy
IN THIS EPISODE
SHOW NOTES 🔗
TRANSCRIPT 🔗
00:00:02.044 --> 00:00:05.552
Welcome to the Aerophone Academy podcast with me, Matt Traum.
00:00:06.141 --> 00:00:07.868
And I'm Alistair Parnell.
00:00:07.868 --> 00:00:17.359
Join us each month as we discuss the wonderful world of wind controllers and you get the very best information and answers to your questions.
00:00:17.940 --> 00:00:26.060
The Aerophone Academy podcast is the source for accurate information on wind controllers, so make sure you subscribe to the podcast.
00:00:26.621 --> 00:00:28.844
And while you're at it, why not check out www.
00:00:28.844 --> 00:00:28.844
isax.
00:00:28.844 --> 00:00:32.151
academy?
00:00:32.551 --> 00:00:32.792
and patchmanmusic.
00:00:32.792 --> 00:00:33.774
com.
00:00:35.820 --> 00:00:36.783
Welcome back everybody.
00:00:36.783 --> 00:00:44.548
This is episode 14, and we're going to do a continuation of our fascinating interview with Mr Tom Scott.
00:00:44.548 --> 00:00:46.631
So welcome back again, Tom.
00:00:46.631 --> 00:00:47.393
Nice to have you.
00:00:47.899 --> 00:00:49.165
Well, it's nice to be had.
00:00:49.165 --> 00:00:54.843
Thank you so much.
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Once again, we've got a really exciting episode ahead for you with this one.
00:01:24.140 --> 00:01:34.593
I'm Alistair Parnell, coming to you from Nottingham in the UK, and let me introduce to you Matt Traum, coming from Ohio in the States.
00:01:34.593 --> 00:01:35.783
And Matt, how are you?
00:01:35.783 --> 00:01:37.287
Welcome, take it away.
00:01:37.789 --> 00:01:38.411
Thanks, Alistair.
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I'm doing great here and chuffed to bits, as they say over there.
00:01:41.689 --> 00:01:43.706
Dubly chuffed even.
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You might even go as far as to say I'm over the moon.
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Looking forward to talking more with Tom Scott and his wonderful, amazing musical career and his use of wind controllers.
00:01:58.368 --> 00:02:12.919
So let's carry on, shall we, Tom?
00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:15.390
I wanted to ask you, uh, the Yamaha WX and the Akai EWI came out about the same year, around 87 88.
00:02:15.390 --> 00:02:18.861
I was wondering, did you ever you ever experiment with the EWI or Nyle Steiner's version of EWI before before that?
00:02:19.022 --> 00:02:21.647
I, I tried, I tried and it just it.
00:02:21.647 --> 00:02:25.235
It just didn't feel comfortable.
00:02:25.235 --> 00:02:31.272
I mean the WX5 or whatever, the first one I played which I really liked, it just fits.
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The 7 was the first.
00:02:32.663 --> 00:02:33.387
Yeah, 7.
00:02:33.387 --> 00:02:34.770
It just fit.
00:02:34.770 --> 00:02:39.692
It just fit in your hands in a normal woodwind player kind of way.
00:02:41.819 --> 00:02:46.241
And listen, I've got to tell you my dear, dear departed friend, Michael Brecker, God bless him.
00:02:46.241 --> 00:02:49.068
He played some stuff on the EWI.
00:02:49.068 --> 00:03:15.711
I went to see him one night at the Hollywood Bowl with Paul Simon and Paul graciously, because I know it was like probably half the audience didn't know or care but he gave Michael a solo spot and he had that thing and I'm sure Judd Miller Judd Miller was his programmer, so I you know, but he so he played a couple of notes or two, or a couple of notes and I think some of them was meant to trigger other stuff, so.
00:03:15.711 --> 00:03:24.305
So he had this like kind of African drum loop going on and then some kind of bass line that kept repeating and then he was playing over that.
00:03:24.305 --> 00:03:28.913
It was the most stunning EWI performance you'll ever hear in your entire life.
00:03:28.913 --> 00:03:30.514
Wow, yeah, he had it down.
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I just couldn't get it.
00:03:33.368 --> 00:03:33.789
Interesting.
00:03:33.789 --> 00:03:35.526
So you stuck with the WX7?
00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:36.963
Yes, I did.
00:03:37.286 --> 00:03:39.584
Yeah, so then am I right then?
00:03:39.584 --> 00:03:43.693
The transition then is on to the Roland right?
00:03:43.939 --> 00:03:51.968
Well, yeah, because I didn't really play, I didn't really use the electronic wind instrument for a while, I mean it, just I didn't use it.
00:03:51.968 --> 00:03:58.631
Then I decided, God, it would be great to get a Lyricon again, because I'll never have a sound that's like that.
00:03:58.631 --> 00:04:11.206
Yeah, I called Bernardi's- I think his son- right who apparently has a warehouse full of this stuff, and there was another guy who actually helped with the sales and I can't think of his name now.
00:04:11.206 --> 00:04:21.552
Anyway, I ordered a Lyricon Wind Driver and I got a module I think it was a Behringer some module, some little module I thought could reproduce.
00:04:21.552 --> 00:04:23.480
And once again, we got another filter thing.
00:04:23.620 --> 00:04:26.310
Once I tried it, it just didn't have the sound.
00:04:26.310 --> 00:04:49.663
It wasn't a kind of sophisticated filter that the Moog ones were, and so I ended up and, plus, I forgot all the things that were not so fun about the Lyricon, which is the pitch drifting and you know, and it was kind of finicky and I, I just, I just said I'm sorry and I said it all back at a refund.
00:04:49.663 --> 00:04:53.531
So then, what was that?
00:04:53.531 --> 00:04:53.812
What?
00:04:53.812 --> 00:04:54.495
What happened?
00:04:54.495 --> 00:05:05.742
Where I had seen some, probably some cheap MIDI there's a couple of MIDI saxophone things that I was thinking, mulling over and then then I saw the uh heard about the Aerophone.
00:05:05.742 --> 00:05:07.045
From who did I hear about it?
00:05:07.045 --> 00:05:10.877
From uh, Bob Mintzer or I can't remember now.
00:05:11.158 --> 00:05:13.382
Maybe maybe Tav, Steve Tavaglione?
00:05:13.704 --> 00:05:14.786
No it wasn't Steve.
00:05:14.786 --> 00:05:21.365
Anyway, somehow I've read about it or found out about it and, uh, I you know.
00:05:21.365 --> 00:05:28.043
Then I got in touch with the, with Roland, and then I called you for that Lyricon sound, and boy, I'm so grateful.
00:05:28.384 --> 00:05:28.824
Anyway using it.
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That's great.
00:05:29.487 --> 00:05:30.569
Yeah, sure.
00:05:30.569 --> 00:05:31.692
Might have been Bob Mintzer.
00:05:31.692 --> 00:05:33.706
They were trying to get Bob to play it.
00:05:35.904 --> 00:05:37.990
I have a memory of Mintzer in the back of my head.
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Yeah, it just didn't work for him either.
00:05:40.220 --> 00:05:46.523
I mean, he's the opposite, he likes the EWI, you know the touch sensors and it's.
00:05:46.523 --> 00:05:47.004
It's all personal, right?
00:05:47.024 --> 00:05:47.305
Go for it, baby.
00:05:47.305 --> 00:05:48.367
Uh, it's very personal.
00:05:48.367 --> 00:05:48.588
Yep.
00:05:49.129 --> 00:05:51.021
Alistair, we have to put one more Lyric on solo in here.
00:05:51.021 --> 00:05:55.771
1979, Herb Alpert, my hero, my musical hero, besides Tom Scott.
00:05:55.771 --> 00:06:01.826
Yeah, you played on a, a track called Aranjuez on his Rise LP the big one, 1979 his big one.
00:06:01.826 --> 00:06:04.050
Oh, Aranjuez uh, yeah, yeah.
00:06:04.211 --> 00:06:05.774
So how was it to work with Herb?
00:06:05.774 --> 00:06:07.420
Herb Alpert, my hero?
00:06:07.420 --> 00:06:08.562
Lovely lovely.
00:06:08.562 --> 00:06:14.374
Herb was a is a great guy and you know, uh, say what you will about I mean, I, I've.
00:06:14.374 --> 00:06:19.511
I've thought in the beginning like this what's this corny Tijuana Brass stuff?
00:06:19.511 --> 00:06:24.668
You know, being the again the hip jazz guy that I perceived myself to be at the time.
00:06:24.668 --> 00:06:28.494
But Herb Alpert ended up doing something, and I've told him this.
00:06:28.494 --> 00:06:35.540
I said you did something in 1966 or whenever that was, that no one else succeeded in doing.
00:06:35.540 --> 00:06:39.932
You helped reintroduce horns back into pop music.
00:06:39.932 --> 00:06:42.225
You know, because he was first.
00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:58.259
Then I think the next big deal was Blood, Sweat and Tears and then that led to Chicago and you know Earth, Wind and Fire and all the great R and B bands with horns, which just was such a great new dimension.
00:06:58.259 --> 00:07:00.723
But listen, Herb was a delightful guy.
00:07:00.723 --> 00:07:01.250
You know.
00:07:01.250 --> 00:07:04.528
He and his partner, Jerry Moss, founded A&M Records.
00:07:04.528 --> 00:07:06.822
You know, out of a suitcase, I mean, they were.
00:07:06.822 --> 00:07:12.105
They had nothing starting and they turned that thing into a behemoth of a record company.
00:07:12.105 --> 00:07:14.553
And they also did it on a handshake.
00:07:14.553 --> 00:07:18.427
They had never had a formal agreement between the two of them except shaking hands.
00:07:18.427 --> 00:07:20.836
I thought that was really cool, yeah.
00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:28.685
And you interviewed Herb on your podcast, one of the early guests of yours.
00:07:28.704 --> 00:07:30.951
I did indeed, I did indeed, and he signed me to A and M signed back in 1970.
00:07:30.951 --> 00:07:34.220
I did one album for him and, uh, then I moved on then.
00:07:34.220 --> 00:07:45.572
Then Lou Adler wanted me, which was great because that was old records, that was carol king and cheech and chong and a very sort of the tiffany of of record labels within the A&M family.
00:07:45.572 --> 00:07:47.125
So I lucked out there.
00:07:48.060 --> 00:07:49.185
Well, can we play a little of that track?
00:07:49.185 --> 00:07:50.389
Alistair, the Herb Alpert?
00:07:50.819 --> 00:07:51.199
Sure!
00:08:42.457 --> 00:08:43.778
I assume that's you on top, right?
00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:44.886
Yeah, that's me, and I'm the one doing the little turns.
00:08:44.886 --> 00:08:45.087
Right, yep.
00:08:49.322 --> 00:08:50.785
It's so cool.
00:08:50.806 --> 00:08:52.248
That was my East Indian training.
00:08:52.509 --> 00:08:53.269
Such a cool track.
00:08:53.269 --> 00:08:54.371
Yeah, great stuff.
00:08:54.371 --> 00:08:56.374
Thank you for commenting.
00:08:56.576 --> 00:08:59.445
You've got an Aerophone but you could do with some help.
00:08:59.445 --> 00:09:08.145
Getting information from the internet or finding a great teacher just isn't happening, and you know how important it is to make the best possible start.
00:09:08.145 --> 00:09:16.785
Let me introduce you to the Aerophone Basics course from the iSax Academy, A brand new online course for the beginner to intermediate player.
00:09:16.785 --> 00:09:27.836
After you've learned how to set up the instrument, we'll look at hand position, breathing, articulation and sound selection.
00:09:27.836 --> 00:09:34.018
There are 20 videos to help you learn every note on the instrument, plus the alternatives with detailed explanations and playing tips on how to get the best from each sound.
00:09:34.018 --> 00:09:40.620
There are sessions on improvisation and help with reading music, downloadable PDFs and backing tracks for each lesson.
00:09:40.620 --> 00:09:45.870
Start playing great tunes from day one and see great results in just 90 days.
00:09:46.095 --> 00:09:52.674
Regular live webinars with me, Alistair Parnell, to get your questions answered and join a whole community of players.
00:09:52.674 --> 00:09:53.956
Visit isax.
00:09:53.956 --> 00:09:56.337
academy for more information.
00:10:06.606 --> 00:10:21.389
So I get the feeling, Tom, is this is this kind of a fair observation you you seem to have, for you know quite a lot of your career, like you said about your car boot, and you know your trunk, should I say you have?
00:10:21.389 --> 00:10:37.764
You know this arsenal of equipment and the wind synth has always been or for a lot of your period of professional playing, it's been another tool in your box and you've used it kind of equally, like a saxophone or the bass clarinet or the flute or whatever it's.
00:10:37.764 --> 00:10:39.916
Just whenever it suits out, it comes right?
00:10:40.136 --> 00:10:41.278
That's exactly right.
00:10:41.278 --> 00:10:42.400
What is the music?
00:10:42.400 --> 00:10:47.519
What would best benefit the music in terms of what I can do, what I could bring to the table?
00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:50.167
And whatever that answer is, I'll do it.
00:10:51.015 --> 00:11:03.097
And something that's come up before in our podcast is this like Matt said earlier, you know anything you play is going to sound great, but did you ever get any reaction where people you know what are you doing with that thing?
00:11:03.097 --> 00:11:06.264
Or or was there any kind of like you know, um.
00:11:06.264 --> 00:11:06.264
.
00:11:06.264 --> 00:11:06.264
.
00:11:06.264 --> 00:11:08.028
What in the hell is that?
00:11:08.028 --> 00:11:09.857
No.
00:11:09.918 --> 00:11:16.089
Yeah exactly, you know, did you ever feel that was a little awkward in in any situation?
00:11:16.089 --> 00:11:17.235
Or you were just like look, I.
00:11:17.235 --> 00:11:17.235
.
00:11:17.235 --> 00:11:17.235
.
00:11:17.417 --> 00:11:17.817
I didn't.
00:11:17.817 --> 00:11:22.784
I didn't, because, look, I always introduce it by saying, look, this is this thing, I'll play it for you.
00:11:22.784 --> 00:11:24.888
If you don't like it, I'll put it away.
00:11:24.888 --> 00:11:28.121
Yeah, but you know, I didn't wait for them to say what, what?
00:11:28.121 --> 00:11:34.119
I didn't force it on anybody, so nobody was in the position of having to say get that thing out of here!
00:11:34.340 --> 00:11:36.644
Yeah what about, like now?
00:11:36.644 --> 00:11:42.005
So you're obviously doing your um social media stuff and you're playing the Aerophone.
00:11:42.005 --> 00:11:43.236
Are you using it?
00:11:43.236 --> 00:11:46.702
Still doing some like all the recording bits and things, or what's?
00:11:46.702 --> 00:11:48.164
What's what's happening?
00:11:48.184 --> 00:11:48.264
Yeah.
00:11:48.264 --> 00:11:59.315
Well it's funny that this month, a little later this month, I'm doing a concert actually two concerts of the same material.
00:11:59.315 --> 00:12:13.488
It's mostly dedicated to Quincy Jones, or a big part of it- and I'm doing the encore, coming out and doing Velas, which is that beautiful tune by Ivan Linz which Toots Thielmans, played using the harmonica.
00:12:13.488 --> 00:12:17.017
Yes, uh, a setting on the Aerophone.
00:12:17.017 --> 00:12:18.500
It was a beauty.
00:12:18.500 --> 00:12:19.664
That's a beautiful tune too.
00:12:19.664 --> 00:12:19.946
It's too.
00:12:19.946 --> 00:12:21.831
It's on Quincy's album, The Dude.
00:12:21.831 --> 00:12:25.698
It's absolutely gorgeous, and Johnny Mandel wrote the strings.
00:12:25.698 --> 00:12:38.003
I miss the days when people were allowed, had the financial resources to just get all the best people like Quincy.
00:12:38.003 --> 00:12:42.470
You know, man, classy, classy stuff.
00:12:49.616 --> 00:13:03.327
The other thing I get from you, Tom, I think, is you know, you've not been perhaps one that's experimented with a vast amount of kind of computer-based soft synths or whatever for your wind synth playing.
00:13:03.327 --> 00:13:12.945
You seem to have chosen sounds that you really enjoy playing, and there may be not many of those, but you've learned and played them extremely well.
00:13:12.945 --> 00:13:13.566
Is that fair?
00:13:14.095 --> 00:13:16.140
Well, the extremely well part.
00:13:16.140 --> 00:13:17.244
I won't take credit for that.
00:13:17.244 --> 00:13:18.386
I do the best I can.
00:13:18.386 --> 00:13:32.408
Yeah, no that's, but I will say, yes, I'm only interested in sounds that I think I can, you know, express myself we talked about earlier expression the ones that allow me to, you know, to do things I want to do.
00:13:32.408 --> 00:13:44.405
And and, for example, I mean I don't mean to slam the lovely people at Roland Aerophone, but of the 600 sounds on there, people at Roland Aerophone, but of the 600 sounds on there, there's maybe 50 that I care about, if that many.
00:13:44.405 --> 00:13:48.410
But the ones that I do care about are great, lovely.
00:13:54.514 --> 00:13:55.778
Yes, yeah, I think a lot of people would agree with you.
00:13:55.778 --> 00:14:09.796
It's interesting from our podcast point of view because having spoken to someone like Judd, where I mean he's got like a zillion different sounds on computer and soft synth and that's what he's into, and he's spent a vast amount of time developing his own sounds and things.
00:14:09.796 --> 00:14:14.206
So it's interesting seeing the two quite different approaches.
00:14:14.206 --> 00:14:14.847
You know?
00:14:15.535 --> 00:14:20.846
I'm not particularly interested in breaking new ground in terms of sounds and stuff.
00:14:20.846 --> 00:14:21.908
Let Judd do that.
00:14:21.908 --> 00:14:25.519
He's very good at it, far better than I would ever be.
00:14:26.903 --> 00:14:29.200
Speaking of Judd, shall we play the Short Visit?
00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:30.344
Sure, it's called A Short Visit.
00:14:30.344 --> 00:14:32.101
It was a composition by Judd Miller.
00:14:32.101 --> 00:14:34.447
I don't know if Judd plays on it.
00:14:34.447 --> 00:14:37.855
It sounds like he's doing his chord thing in the melody also with you.
00:14:37.855 --> 00:14:38.195
Maybe
00:14:38.195 --> 00:14:39.715
He's not playing on it.
00:14:39.715 --> 00:14:39.995
No.
00:14:40.336 --> 00:14:40.556
Not?
00:14:40.556 --> 00:14:42.076
Okay, but it's his composition.
00:14:42.076 --> 00:14:43.436
It is indeed Okay.
00:14:43.475 --> 00:14:43.855
Here it comes.
00:14:43.855 --> 00:16:02.912
Yeah, yeah, see what you mean about the chord thing though, Matt.
00:16:02.912 --> 00:16:05.692
It does sound a bit like Judd Miller with that kind of stuff.
00:16:05.692 --> 00:16:06.332
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
00:16:06.513 --> 00:16:07.653
Very reminiscent, yeah.
00:16:08.153 --> 00:16:13.234
So, and GRP, I mean, what a crew to work with right?
00:16:13.254 --> 00:16:15.014
They left me alone to do what I want to do.
00:16:15.014 --> 00:16:18.736
You know, and you never make.
00:16:18.736 --> 00:16:18.736
.
00:16:18.736 --> 00:16:18.736
.
00:16:18.736 --> 00:16:21.802
Some albums turned out better than others, or more listenable or more popular.
00:16:21.802 --> 00:16:24.062
You can't predict that.
00:16:24.062 --> 00:16:30.605
You just do the best you can, one album at a time, and if you're lucky enough to be in the business as long as I have, I have a catalog.
00:16:35.476 --> 00:16:39.397
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00:16:39.397 --> 00:16:42.863
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00:16:42.863 --> 00:16:50.466
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00:16:50.466 --> 00:17:00.746
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00:17:00.746 --> 00:17:16.666
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00:17:16.666 --> 00:17:42.634
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00:17:42.634 --> 00:17:52.617
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00:17:52.617 --> 00:17:56.401
com for your next wind controller-related purchase?
00:17:56.401 --> 00:18:18.451
Thank you.
00:18:18.451 --> 00:18:18.791
Well, I just want to maybe ask Tom what he uh, where he sees the future going with wind controllers.
00:18:18.791 --> 00:18:18.791
What he'd like to see in the Aerophone.
00:18:18.791 --> 00:18:18.791
A new model maybe that comes out or firmware upgrade or something.
00:18:18.791 --> 00:18:18.791
What do you like, and what are you missing?
00:18:18.791 --> 00:18:25.882
I would like to see some of the sounds that you can create that aren't on that incorporated.
00:18:25.961 --> 00:18:26.403
They're coming!
00:18:26.694 --> 00:18:27.196
Oh, they are.
00:18:27.196 --> 00:18:28.342
Yeah, oh, that's great.
00:18:28.515 --> 00:18:33.038
I did some of the factory presets, some of those big chords and some of the others, but I'll do more.
00:18:33.078 --> 00:18:36.201
Yeah, no, those are fine, you know, in their place they're just.
00:18:36.201 --> 00:18:41.185
I wouldn't normally find a place for them, but that's me, that's, but they're great to have them.
00:18:41.185 --> 00:18:42.188
It's great to have them.
00:18:42.188 --> 00:18:44.160
I don't begrudge having it all.
00:18:44.801 --> 00:18:47.939
Um yeah, there are definitely things coming in the pipeline.
00:18:48.059 --> 00:19:04.696
That's great cause I think, frankly, I think both the, the, uh, the, the, the sound, the quote unquote, quasi uh Lyric on sound that you created for me, uh, it is wonderful and.
00:19:04.696 --> 00:19:04.696
.
00:19:04.696 --> 00:19:04.696
.
00:19:04.718 --> 00:19:04.897
Thank you.
00:19:04.959 --> 00:19:10.397
And and I took the other one, the second one that you sent me, and tweaked it and made it more like kind of the sound on hard, Heart Hotels a bit more edgy.
00:19:10.818 --> 00:19:11.440
Right, yeah, yeah.
00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:12.362
And uh and uh.
00:19:12.362 --> 00:19:18.028
Once you showed me how to use the yeah the app, I was thrilled that I could actually do that kind of stuff right on my phon e.
00:19:18.250 --> 00:19:21.481
Yeah, Tom called a couple times and it's like can I do this on my Aerophone?
00:19:21.481 --> 00:19:25.354
And the answer is usually yes, but it's like you know, to be able to do.
00:19:25.354 --> 00:19:31.098
It's a little complicated sometimes because you have all those features and there's you got to dig down a couple levels of menus to get in there.
00:19:31.098 --> 00:19:32.181
But yep, we did it,
00:19:32.342 --> 00:19:33.664
Yeah, and I thank you for that.
00:19:34.185 --> 00:19:37.381
As far as the hardware, do you like the key layout like physically?
00:19:37.381 --> 00:19:38.863
Does it feel good in your hands or?
00:19:39.124 --> 00:19:56.078
Uh, well, now this is okay, this is a good point, because, uh okay, um Corey Fournier This great, the great guy at Roland, he's a wonderful guy great guy he had me meet him at their um office in Burbank and there was one of the Japanese uh tech guy I guess you know.
00:19:56.078 --> 00:20:27.523
He had a clipboard and he wanted it and I would say stuff and and he would, you know, try to write it down what I was saying, what my my main objection to it was there are a lot of keys on there that are sort of programmed like a saxophone, and by that I mean if you're playing, like you know, using the top three fingers, say, and you want to go half step down, you know you normally you'd have to use two fingers to do it on a saxophone, which is in this world of.
00:20:27.523 --> 00:20:29.888
I mean, the bottom line of this.
00:20:29.888 --> 00:20:33.385
What I'm saying is every key should do something all the time.
00:20:33.385 --> 00:20:38.603
Let me learn, you know, maybe a half step, a whole step, a trill, I don't know.
00:20:38.603 --> 00:20:41.393
Make them do stuff, because they're just sitting there.
00:20:41.413 --> 00:20:50.580
is, there's a lot of unused keys that are only that, are only good for one specific fingering, and I would love to have see that change happen.
00:20:50.580 --> 00:20:51.964
Now I haven't.
00:20:51.964 --> 00:21:00.711
Now I know that there are some fingering systems that the the aside from saxophone, like there's one called e-Wind, e-Wind, yeah, now is that.
00:21:00.711 --> 00:21:02.114
What does that have more?
00:21:02.114 --> 00:21:02.876
I haven't even tried it.
00:21:02.876 --> 00:21:04.564
Does it have more stuff going on?
00:21:04.684 --> 00:21:05.587
Yeah, it does.
00:21:05.587 --> 00:21:10.306
That does have a little bit more flexibility because it tries to go more towards the, the.
00:21:10.306 --> 00:21:15.721
What was the really the the Akai electronic wind instrument, um sort of fingering system.
00:21:15.721 --> 00:21:15.721
.
00:21:15.721 --> 00:21:15.721
.
00:21:16.162 --> 00:21:16.303
.
00:21:16.303 --> 00:21:16.303
.
00:21:16.303 --> 00:21:16.303
.
00:21:16.303 --> 00:21:22.721
like an additive system where every key either adds a half step or subtracts it, and it doesn't matter what you're doing, it just adds together, right?
00:21:22.781 --> 00:21:26.308
Yes, well, yeah, well, that's kind of what I'm talking about.
00:21:26.308 --> 00:21:29.436
I guess I should just try that and see what.
00:21:29.436 --> 00:21:30.097
See what it's like.
00:21:30.097 --> 00:21:31.602
Would I like it, do you think?
00:21:31.730 --> 00:21:31.931
Yeah.
00:21:31.931 --> 00:21:35.601
It takes a little while to to to dig into it, you know.
00:21:35.601 --> 00:21:35.601
.
00:21:35.601 --> 00:21:35.601
.
00:21:35.661 --> 00:21:39.180
But but you can't wait, wait, wait, just before you go on, can't you just?
00:21:39.180 --> 00:21:43.682
Can you play it just like as if it were the saxophone one, or is it going to react differently?
00:21:44.710 --> 00:21:49.097
Well, the beauty for me is that you've got your own.
00:21:49.097 --> 00:21:52.684
You've got your own user fingerings.
00:21:52.684 --> 00:22:07.355
But there is also a setting on it where you can dedicate, say, you know, like your side key B flat or your side key C fingering, you can say you always want that fingering to give you a half step up or a whole step up.
00:22:07.517 --> 00:22:09.854
You can yes, where the hell have I been?
00:22:09.854 --> 00:22:11.219
Good Lord.
00:22:11.609 --> 00:22:12.836
You guys should get together and talk.
00:22:13.089 --> 00:22:14.012
I'll give you a lesson, Tom.
00:22:14.012 --> 00:22:15.839
I'll give you a lesson, no problem.
00:22:18.911 --> 00:22:19.753
Is it on that app?
00:22:19.753 --> 00:22:21.500
Is it on the phone app?
00:22:22.222 --> 00:22:24.028
Well, it's right on the Aerophone.
00:22:24.028 --> 00:22:25.131
It's right on the Aerophone.
00:22:25.131 --> 00:22:26.133
On the Aerophone itself?
00:22:26.452 --> 00:22:33.025
Yeah, you go to the menu, you select the key that you want, say, like the side key, B flat, and then you can say, okay, I want.
00:22:33.190 --> 00:22:35.940
Wait, you can select the side key B flat on that menu.
00:22:36.730 --> 00:22:40.077
Yeah, you go to the setting Key Function.
00:22:40.077 --> 00:22:42.123
It's called Key Function.
00:22:42.123 --> 00:22:44.798
Key Function, Okay, yes, yes, I've seen that.
00:22:45.371 --> 00:22:50.563
You go to Key Function and you press whichever side key or pinky key that you want.
00:22:51.030 --> 00:22:52.758
I see, and then it says what do you want it to do?
00:22:52.849 --> 00:22:57.962
And then you say, right, I want that always to produce a semitone higher than I'm playing.
00:22:57.962 --> 00:23:00.195
So if you want to, I.
00:23:00.195 --> 00:23:00.195
.
00:23:00.195 --> 00:23:00.195
.
00:23:00.195 --> 00:23:01.740
Ah.
00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:01.740
.
00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:01.740
.
00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:02.561
There you go.
00:23:02.890 --> 00:23:06.791
I realize a man of your caliber would never need to do this, but for instance.
00:23:06.791 --> 00:23:06.791
.
00:23:06.791 --> 00:23:06.791
.
00:23:06.971 --> 00:23:07.632
Yes, I would.
00:23:07.632 --> 00:23:08.252
Yes.
00:23:08.512 --> 00:23:08.573
.
00:23:08.573 --> 00:23:08.573
.
00:23:08.573 --> 00:23:08.573
.
00:23:08.573 --> 00:23:09.613
if you want to play a kind of.
00:23:09.613 --> 00:23:13.394
If you want to play a riff, you know, in F sharp major,
00:23:13.755 --> 00:23:14.695
You just hold the key,
00:23:14.875 --> 00:23:22.098
But you actually want to just finger it in F, you can add your little pinker thingy and it's going to do everything for F sharp, for you.
00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:23.960
Listen, I love all the tricks.
00:23:23.980 --> 00:23:24.599
Yeah me too!
00:23:24.619 --> 00:23:25.540
Come on, come on.
00:23:26.661 --> 00:23:28.982
By the way, I did that on the brass fingering that we did.
00:23:28.982 --> 00:23:34.085
There's ways to hold a key down and then I can play in C sharp, like I'm playing in C and I sound great.
00:23:34.085 --> 00:23:34.785
And I was like, oh.
00:23:34.785 --> 00:23:34.785
.
00:23:34.785 --> 00:23:34.785
.
00:23:34.805 --> 00:23:35.945
Yeah, yeah!
00:23:36.246 --> 00:23:37.307
I call it a cheat key.
00:23:37.646 --> 00:23:40.948
That's awesome! That's why you know, because why should it be so difficult?
00:23:46.429 --> 00:23:46.670
L et's cheat.
00:23:48.529 --> 00:23:49.113
And the other thing is.
00:23:49.113 --> 00:23:54.894
The other thing is when you're playing in those hot you know, know, many sharp or many flat keys, yes, the, the, the possibility of little glitches between the fingerings, as you're, you know
00:23:55.435 --> 00:23:55.856
Exactly
00:23:55.896 --> 00:23:57.400
That that is a problem.
00:23:57.400 --> 00:24:04.711
And I, even on the things you played me Heart Hotels and and uh, Do That To Me One More Time I hear a couple little finger glitches.
00:24:04.711 --> 00:24:06.115
I got away with them.
00:24:06.115 --> 00:24:09.063
They're, they're, they're okay, but I know what they are.
00:24:09.063 --> 00:24:15.056
They're because I didn't, you know press the, save the right keys at the exact time you know.
00:24:15.056 --> 00:24:18.273
Another one of those things where can you do it, yeah, yes, you can.
00:24:18.653 --> 00:24:19.817
Key Function is your friend.
00:24:20.097 --> 00:24:21.541
Thank you very much for that.
00:24:25.077 --> 00:24:25.900
Amen amen
00:24:26.020 --> 00:24:27.964
And so also I wanted to ask Tom about the.
00:24:27.964 --> 00:24:28.988
Is it the called the left?
00:24:28.988 --> 00:24:34.545
I'm a trumpet player, but the left hand palm keys some people have said it's kind of short, it's kind of hard to access.
00:24:34.545 --> 00:24:35.428
Do you find it?
00:24:35.428 --> 00:24:39.056
Are you able to do it, Tom the upper left hand palm keys.
00:24:39.156 --> 00:24:41.682
Oh, these guys, the left hand or the right hand,
00:24:42.083 --> 00:24:42.282
Left
00:24:42.530 --> 00:24:43.032
Little short?
00:24:43.233 --> 00:24:46.487
The left hand, they're, they're, yeah, they're a little, they're a little iffy.
00:24:46.487 --> 00:24:53.382
I, I, yeah, I've had to, I've, I've had to practice to you them work and I still screw up.
00:24:53.382 --> 00:25:05.277
Thank God I'm doing it here at home when I'm recording, so I just go back and do it again until I get it right, but they could be better, they could be somehow easier.
00:25:05.410 --> 00:25:10.281
Some people were asking if they could be or maybe extended longer, slightly more maybe.
00:25:11.131 --> 00:25:20.202
Something, yeah, yeah, maybe something, because it's just, yeah, yeah, that's a problem, and on this side, these guys are okay, all this is okay.
00:25:20.202 --> 00:25:29.134
Um, I still, you know, still have a problem with the, with the bend, uh, the, you know this, this little key right here, that's the.
00:25:29.174 --> 00:25:30.862
Yeah, it's a little high up?
00:25:30.942 --> 00:25:32.126
Well that, that's, it's a little high up.
00:25:32.126 --> 00:25:34.916
Well, that's true, yeah, it's a little far away.
00:25:34.916 --> 00:25:51.479
But aside from that, when you go to bend the pitch, what I would like it to do is just like a keyboard synthesizer with a pitch thing where it gradually goes down.
00:25:51.479 --> 00:25:52.922
You .
00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:55.275
, What if I, if thing, want it's it to, what happens with this thing?
00:25:55.275 --> 00:26:03.678
It's, you start, you start to move that, move that lever and it, it, it stays the pitch the same, and then it suddenly shifts into the.
00:26:03.678 --> 00:26:05.125
It's not gradual.
00:26:05.125 --> 00:26:06.130
Do you know what I'm saying?
00:26:07.993 --> 00:26:08.214
s.
00:26:08.214 --> 00:26:11.982
Right Right, Alistair, you could set a curve to make it less or more sensitive.
00:26:12.631 --> 00:26:18.836
Well, I just want it to be a pure, a pure linear gliss, not a da or da.
00:26:18.836 --> 00:26:23.858
Yeah, there's a point, kind of a node, where it goes down.
00:26:24.893 --> 00:26:37.518
Yeah, there is a thing called a curve setting that, basically, rather than it being what should be, you know a linear setting which you might not be liking, or you might not be liking how that's working.
00:26:37.518 --> 00:26:43.681
So you could change it to the curve setting, which is a more gradual one and then picks up more towards the end of the movement.
00:26:43.681 --> 00:26:45.335
It's just whatever works for you.
00:26:45.335 --> 00:26:45.655
To be
00:26:46.298 --> 00:26:47.201
I think that's possible.
00:26:47.549 --> 00:26:48.693
Okay, and what is that called?
00:26:48.693 --> 00:26:50.198
What is that menu item?
00:26:54.070 --> 00:26:54.972
That's in the curve settings.
00:26:55.252 --> 00:26:57.739
You set it you set it something about curve?
00:26:58.038 --> 00:27:02.454
And now this is adjustable per patch- or globally, so that's another layer.
00:27:02.997 --> 00:27:05.782
You know you well I, if I had it all the time, I'd be fine.
00:27:05.782 --> 00:27:07.394
So global is fine.
00:27:07.675 --> 00:27:12.371
Allister, you should hook up with Tom and get and, just kind of you know, give him some button pres ses.
00:27:12.872 --> 00:27:14.576
Yeah, we could probably go over some of that.
00:27:14.836 --> 00:27:18.071
That was could that suffice as my fee for, for for a?
00:27:18.653 --> 00:27:20.678
couple of free lessons from from Alistair.
00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:26.213
I would be absolutely honored to offer some of my time for you, Tom, absolutely.
00:27:26.213 --> 00:27:27.977
Oh, that's awesome, awesome.
00:27:27.977 --> 00:27:33.384
All right, you just say and we'll get together for an hour and we'll work through some of those settings.
00:27:33.384 --> 00:27:34.977
I would love that, gosh.
00:27:35.509 --> 00:27:37.336
Alistair, he's the best guy to talk to.
00:27:37.537 --> 00:27:38.259
Okay, great.
00:27:39.872 --> 00:27:43.950
As long as you, let me put it on my resume that I helped Tom Scott play his Aerophone.
00:27:45.494 --> 00:27:46.598
I will, I will.
00:27:46.598 --> 00:27:47.039
I swear.
00:27:48.589 --> 00:27:50.131
Anytime, Tom, we'll do that.
00:27:50.131 --> 00:28:51.940
Um, listen before we wrap up, though, we'd like to make sure people know how to find you, Tom, with your social media channels, and you do your own podcast as well.
00:28:52.390 --> 00:28:56.109
Okay, so let's go over them one at a time, please.
00:28:56.109 --> 00:29:04.234
The podcast which I've done over 50 of them with a whole raft of people, not necessarily in music, I'm very fortunate.
00:29:04.234 --> 00:29:10.743
Over the years I've met a lot of people in actors and actresses and a couple of people in politics, in the military actors and actresses and a couple of people in politics.
00:29:10.743 --> 00:29:24.739
In the military I've I've done a a a interview with uh HR McMaster and uh Chris Matthews and Michael Steele and a guy named Steve Squires who is currently the head scientist at blue origin.
00:29:24.739 --> 00:29:30.259
Uh, he was the guy at the head scientist at NASA that launched the two rover.
00:29:30.500 --> 00:29:30.761
Wow.
00:29:31.041 --> 00:29:32.875
Uh missions to Mars.
00:29:32.875 --> 00:29:35.255
Wow, cool, a wonderful guy.
00:29:35.255 --> 00:29:37.673
You know, I see these.
00:29:37.673 --> 00:29:51.854
I'm, fortunate enough I'm in a thing where I get to see these people live from time to time, and the ones that I like the most are the ones who have the same sort of almost childlike passion about what they do as I do, and he's one of them, he.
00:29:51.854 --> 00:29:58.417
He says I've been dreaming about the star since I was a kid and you know, and now he's like a rocket, so literally a rocket.
00:29:58.417 --> 00:30:00.448
You know, they say it's not rocket science.
00:30:00.588 --> 00:30:01.673
Well, yeah,
00:30:01.713 --> 00:30:03.380
Yeah this is rocket science.
00:30:03.380 --> 00:30:08.434
And, of course, a bunch of actors Billy Bob Thornton, a great podcast, funny as hell.
00:30:08.434 --> 00:30:11.741
Malcolm McDowell another funny podcast.
00:30:11.741 --> 00:30:13.592
Great Angelica Houston.
00:30:13.592 --> 00:30:18.023
And then musician Sheila E, oh my gosh.
00:30:18.023 --> 00:30:18.987
Eric Church
00:30:19.407 --> 00:30:20.711
Herb Alpert, Lou Adler
00:30:20.913 --> 00:30:22.519
Herb Alpert, Lou Adler, on and on.
00:30:22.519 --> 00:30:24.285
Yeah, so, anyway that.
00:30:24.285 --> 00:30:33.095
So that's what that is, and it's called Tom Scott's Podcast Express and it's available wherever you get your podcast, or on my website, tomscottmusic.
00:30:33.095 --> 00:30:34.398
com.
00:30:34.519 --> 00:30:34.819
Brilliant!
00:30:35.181 --> 00:30:35.682
There's that.
00:30:35.682 --> 00:30:49.000
Then I am on TikTok and Instagram, both at the at Tom Scott Jazzman, right @Tom Scott Jazzman, on either Instagram or TikTok.
00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:57.678
And then my Facebook page is I think it's, I can't remember what it's called Sax Thom S-A-X-T-H-O-M, I think.
00:30:58.851 --> 00:31:00.438
And then what did I leave out?
00:31:00.438 --> 00:31:09.138
Oh well, I also have a radio show once a week, every Tuesday night here in Southern California on KJAZZ at 9 pm.
00:31:09.138 --> 00:31:11.176
It's called Hang Time with Tom Scott.
00:31:11.176 --> 00:31:14.577
We've done almost 200 shows.
00:31:14.577 --> 00:31:15.441
Wow
00:31:16.711 --> 00:31:17.536
For an hour every week.
00:31:17.536 --> 00:31:19.255
We like to break it up.
00:31:19.255 --> 00:31:23.653
Tonight, actually, we're breaking from the jazz tradition which we do.
00:31:23.653 --> 00:31:26.717
We're like heretics when it comes to playing pure jazz.
00:31:26.717 --> 00:31:27.640
We don't care.
00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:31.521
The owner of the radio station doesn't seem to care either.
00:31:31.521 --> 00:31:31.682
He likes it.
00:31:31.682 --> 00:31:45.962
Tonight we're interviewing Tonight we're interviewing the director of the Yacht Rock movie and talking to him about that era, and I think it's so funny that there are people who just resent.
00:31:45.962 --> 00:31:57.403
I was sort of like that when I first heard the term Yacht Rock applied to this wonderful body of music in which I was a participant, because it made it sound like, oh, this is just music for rich people.
00:31:57.403 --> 00:32:00.739
Yes, but it really was just kind of a joke.
00:32:00.739 --> 00:32:14.271
And even to this day I still get things because I was in that documentary, the yacht rock documentary on HBO.
00:32:14.271 --> 00:32:17.459
And occasionally I still see people complaining about the title Yacht Rock, and it's a travesty and all this.
00:32:17.459 --> 00:32:41.843
And I would say to them look the creation of that term, whether it's just a comedic you know, it's a throwaway title or whatever or whether you think it's serious, what it did was bring it to reintroduce a lot of people to this great period of music, and so in that sense, I think Yacht Rock did a tremendous service to pop music.
00:32:42.772 --> 00:32:48.016
was looking around your different sites and stuff and I think that if you have to remember one thing, it's tomscottmusic.
00:32:48.016 --> 00:32:51.922
com, because you have links to all these other things from there.
00:32:52.442 --> 00:32:52.923
That's right.
00:32:52.923 --> 00:32:54.451
That's true, toms cott music.
00:32:54.451 --> 00:32:55.194
com.
00:32:55.194 --> 00:32:56.038
That's my website.
00:32:56.038 --> 00:32:56.479
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:56.549 --> 00:32:58.497
And there's lessons, and there's your, your touring.
00:32:58.497 --> 00:33:00.473
You know your gigging schedule and things.
00:33:00.473 --> 00:33:13.032
So, um right, that's yeah, but it's and then you were mentioning your radio show.
00:33:13.032 --> 00:33:13.032
It's kkjz.
00:33:13.032 --> 00:33:13.093
or g.
00:33:13.093 --> 00:33:14.337
And they stream from there and they also have archives, right?
00:33:14.337 --> 00:33:15.000
You can listen to older shows?
00:33:15.019 --> 00:33:15.442
They do, that's right.
00:33:15.442 --> 00:33:16.425
You can listen to them anytime on the archives.
00:33:16.445 --> 00:33:18.090
Yeah, great stuff, highly recommended, just great.
00:33:18.310 --> 00:33:18.692
Thank you.
00:33:25.380 --> 00:33:31.738
Before we wrap up then, is there anything else, Tom, you feel we could have covered that you would have liked to have put in?
00:33:31.738 --> 00:33:37.292
Then there anything we can easily feed you a line if you wanted to say anything else?
00:33:37.313 --> 00:33:58.343
No, I just want to say I appreciate very much you guys carrying this thing on this wind synth thing, because it is let's face it, it is a kind of a niche market, but I'm incredibly loyal to it and as clearly I think I've proved that over way too many years, and I'm grateful to you for continuing it on and keeping it in the public eye.
00:33:58.722 --> 00:34:08.650
Yeah, Well, we're grateful for the interview and we can't think of anybody in the world that is bigger, more of a pioneer and more of out there with wind controllers.
00:34:08.650 --> 00:34:15.581
You've brought it to the public more than anybody that I can think of, so thank you for everything you've done over your whole career.
00:34:16.181 --> 00:34:16.782
Absolutely.
00:34:17.202 --> 00:34:17.923
Well, lucky me.
00:34:24.623 --> 00:34:33.327
Yeah, yeah, this has been really fun, Tom, and I feel, more than perhaps you know, it's been such a nice atmosphere to do this with you.
00:34:33.327 --> 00:34:38.280
It's just felt like we're just friends chatting away and you know it's just been such a fun time.
00:34:38.280 --> 00:34:41.856
So thank you so much for giving your time.
00:34:41.896 --> 00:34:43.882
Should I have been more cold and businesslike?
00:34:43.882 --> 00:34:44.242
Do you think?
00:34:44.429 --> 00:34:45.172
Absolutely.
00:34:45.172 --> 00:34:48.239
Yes, no, it's been great, Tom, so thank you very much.
00:34:48.239 --> 00:34:50.043
Of course, thank you.
00:34:50.972 --> 00:34:51.335
Don't forget.
00:34:51.335 --> 00:34:57.240
Join us in the next episode, where I think what we're going to do in the next one is talk about some practicing tips.
00:34:57.240 --> 00:35:00.936
Matt and I will be discussing how we do our practicing tips.
00:35:00.936 --> 00:35:03.762
That might be helpful for you.
00:35:04.302 --> 00:35:52.036
So for now, I'm going to say thank you so much to our regular co-host, Matt Traum, and particularly, once again, huge thanks to Tom Scott for a fascinating interview and everybody, take care, we'll see you in the next one.
00:35:52.076 --> 00:35:53.036
Thanks so much.
00:35:53.036 --> 00:35:54.976
Bye, bye, everybody.
00:35:55.155 --> 00:36:05.416
N o, no, no, no.
00:36:05.416 --> 00:36:06.657
What do you think I am?
00:36:06.657 --> 00:36:08.994
Kenny G?
00:36:08.994 --> 00:36:09.416
For God's sakes!