SaxoFest was always going to be a special occasion. Not only was it a celebration of everything saxophone, but it also marked the 10th anniversary of Sax Bandits. What started as an idea to bring saxophonists together to play for fun has grown into a thriving family of musicians of all ages and abilities. After experiencing SaxoFest first-hand, it’s easyRead more
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Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Sax Bandits, the first-ever SaxoFest brought together musicians, families, performers, and industry partners for an entire day dedicated to the saxophone. As official festival partners, the Odisei Music team travelled from Barcelona in Spain, to Oxfordshire in the UK, for an event packed with live music, exhibitions, instrument repairs, and food stalls. The day alsoRead more
Three amazing masterclasses. A brilliant way to spend an afternoon amongst inspiring professionals. At SaxoFest, guests were incredibly lucky to have three passionate speakers sharing their insights and talents of the saxophone. ‘Solo Over Dance Music’ with Liz Greenwood Liz Greenwood brought brilliant energy to the Solo Over Dance Music Masterclass. She shared her musical background and her down-to-earth approachRead more
My wife Liz has been a member of Sax Bandits for nine years, so when she told me the band were celebrating their 10th anniversary by throwing a festival, I was excited to know more! I’m not a musician myself, but I do love listening to and watching great music – especially anything featuring a saxophone. Growing up listening toRead more
Since the pandemic, Sax Bandits has showed no signs of slowing down and this year was no exception. I wanted to reflect on the year as a whole, to celebrate the achievements of the band and offer my own personal perspective. The Music When choosing the set list at the beginning of the year, I decided to push the boundariesRead more
Twenty Seven years ago my husband bought me a tenor saxophone to celebrate the birth of our son. This amazing gift brought me a step closer to a long-held ambition to play this beautiful instrument. However, as a new parent I decided that even if I could find the time to practice, the noise I would make wouldn’t necessarily beRead more
Arriving for the Snake Davis workshop, I was nervous. Being in the presence of such an esteemed musician, let alone playing in his company was seriously daunting (check out his wiki page for a full list of his credentials). The venue was great, easy to find and ample parking. I had a hot coffee upon arrival which is always aRead more
What a Year It’s Been! Sax Bandits has continued to endure and grow in the aftermath of the global pandemic and I couldn’t be prouder of our achievements. We’ve all been affected in some way by the challenges of the past year, whether you’ve had covid or felt the pinch of petrol prices. In my opinion, these struggles highlight theRead more
PRACTICE! I know what you’re thinking… not the ‘P’ word! Do NOT yawn or look away, please read on… Sometimes I cannot believe how dumb I am! I believe this is a trap many musicians fall into….We look to our heroes, folks who we consider to be better players than us, folks who are where we would love to beRead more
Actually, very real indeed… A whole week of learning with Snake Davis, guest saxophonist of the first Sax Bandits lockdown video, and one of the most in-demand sax players in the world! Following a tip back in 2020 from my teacher (our very own Sorcerer of Sax, I managed to get a place on a one week Horn Camp inRead more
Sax Bandits caught up with Snake Davis from his ‘Zen Den’ at his home in Lincolnshire (named Heion-Ji, which is Japanese for ‘The Temple of Peace and Calm’) to find out how he has been keeping busy during the covid pandemic. Snake Davis is one of the music world’s best kept secrets. He is a saxophonist of almost unparalleled gifts whoRead more
This team-up video was an ambitious project with many moving parts so I’m going to walk you through my process. Ultimately it starts with the musical arrangement; I wanted to choose a song which was loosely lockdown themed, well known, and fun to play! The second consideration was how the melody and song elements (guitars, synths, etc.) would translate intoRead more
