Loved That Jazz

I started playing the saxophone in sixth grade. I wanted to play the trumpet but Mom didn't have much money and we had this horn in the family already. Besides the band teacher told my Mom my lips were too big for the trumpet and I should try something else. So the saxophone became mine. Doug, my older brother, had played it in school too. I imagine Mom had originally bought it used for him because the ivory keys were more worn than he could have done in such a short time. Being in the band was alright during Junior High inCopperas Cove Texas but given a choice I would rather have been on the football team. I was just a bit too fat and not athletic enough to make the team. That husky frame was perfect for developing good breathing techniques for the horn and I quickly improved. Later we moved to Salt Lake City Utah and the band this school had was a jazz band. My love for jazz and the blues began and I quickly became the first chair alto sax player. We showcased our talents during school assemblies and inter-school contests. We never won. But one morning I announced to the teacher, a short red-haired thirty-ish gal, that I had bought a book on improve and had been practicing. She was impressed and an hour later before the school assembly, about ten minutes before it was to start, she came over to me and told me I had the solo in the opening song. I replied there isn't a solo in the music as she laughed and said there is now, just improvise. I was sweating bullets from that moment on. I'll queue you she told me. Well it happened and I somehow managed to stay on key and for about a minute or so I played like I never played before. Ending the solo on the highest note an alto sax can do and blasting it for all I was worth. The school loved it and I have never felt so elated. I couldn't play again until I caught my breath. Soloing without written music was such a rush I felt like I was face jumping the Half Dome.