Talk:Lenny Pickett

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Teeth?

Are his teeth not used at all in the production of the highest altissimo notes? When I was in high school the sax players I played with who listened to Pickett used to imitate him by biting with their teeth on the reed. Does he use a special mouthpiece (i.e. a metal one as opposed to plastic/rubber? Badagnani 05:23, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

While it does induce some of the higher harmonics of the note, placing the teeth directly on the reed doesn't provide much control over what note actually comes out, nor does it provide much stability to stay on that note. Deep treble 15:47, 17 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Date of birth

Can we get his exact date of birth? Thanks, Badagnani 05:23, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Home

Should we list him as currently living in Manhattan, or another borough of New York City? Badagnani 05:25, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Other instruments

Does he also play other sizes of sax, clarinet, or any other instruments, or sing? Badagnani 05:28, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I know he played flute on a couple tracks of Tower of Power's album Bump City. Jazz saxophonists are often expected to know at least the fundamentals of playing flute and clarinet, as those instruments are called for in many big band charts in the 4th sax (or 2nd tenor sax) part. Some are even called for as solo/lead instruments, such as the clarinet in Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade and Benny Goodman's Sing, Sing, Sing. Given this, it wouldn't surprise me if Pickett could play either or both extremely well. Deep treble 15:39, 17 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Now that I think about it, I think I've seen him doubling on clarinet when the SNL band does klezmer stuff. And maybe flute too on occasion. Badagnani 16:02, 17 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Inaccuracies regarding high school?

Lenny was a presence at the main campus of Berkeley High School. He traveled with the Berkeley High School Jazz Band to Las Vegas for performances at the Jazz Festival there during the 1971-1972 school year, when he would have been in the twelfth grade. He played with the jazz band during that period. I'm not sure how this could happen if he was not a student. Also during that time, during a performance given by the University of California at Berkeley Jazz Band in the Berkeley Community Theater, for the Berkeley High School students and others in the audience, Lenny strolled on stage, and to choruses of "Len-ny, Len-ny" was allowed to play a tune with the university jazz band. Not surprisingly his choruses brought the house down to a standing ovation, so he was well-known to his high school peers during what would have been his senior year.

I also seem to recall Lenny being in class, with his saxophone always hanging from his neck, silently practicing fingering all the time, and the same in the halls, at the high school. But it is possible this would be from an earlier time in his life. Others should remember more clearly.

So I believe the statement that Lenny dropped out after 9th grade (which would have place him ONLY at the west campus, and never on the main campus of the high school) is misleading. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.14.38.212 (talk) 16:48, 25 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]