why did Bird play a plastic saxophone

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

what has been said about this- did he genuinely like it better or did he just have no other at the time? also, i thought it was white but then the liner notes to the Bird in Washington + big band tape i have says it was clear....were these mass produced or did he have the only one

[JohnS]

The Grafton sax was very cheap to buy.

[Chas]

Earlier Thread

History of the Grafton Acrylic Saxophone

[brownie]

The Christie's catalogue for the Chan Parker Collection auction says the following about the Grafton cream acrylic plastic saxophone:

'the saxophone given to Charlie Parker in circa 1950 by an Englishman and used by him at the Massey Hall concert...

...Although Parker is primarily associated with the King saxophone, he used this Grafton sax on more occasions than the Massey Hall concert. Chan recalls him playing it at the Open Door on May 9th, 1954 and he also played it on at least two other documented occasions.'...

Charlie Parker playing the Grafton sax at the Open Door with Monk at the piano:

Edited May 27, 2006 by brownie

[Jazzmoose]

To get to the other side.

[Alexander Hawkins]

To get to the other side.

[jazzbo]

I think Bird liked this saxophone, as Ornette liked his; they seemed to enjoy playing it. I read that Bird's was given to him sort as a promotional deal. I researched Bird and Graftons a few years ago and read among other things that for legal reasons he was not supposed to play it publicly within the US and so he is most often viewed with it in Candada and Sweden. . . .

[7/4]

because they didn't make one out of play doh?

[birdanddizzy]

Charlie Parker playing the Grafton sax at the Open Door with Monk at the piano:

I didn't know that Parker was left-handed...

Better photo :

[brownie]

Charlie Parker playing the Grafton sax at the Open Door with Monk at the piano:

I didn't know that Parker was left-handed...

Better photo :

Steven, thanks for rectifying and providing a better image!

[7/4]

because it was there?

[Hot Ptah]

It is now in a display case in the American Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine, in Kansas City.

[marcello]

Here is Bird's saxophone with the case:

Ornette:

Some info:

The Grafton was developed by Hector Sommaruga, an Italian living in London. The instrument takes its name from the street (Grafton Way) where his shop was initially located in the late 1940's. The decision to manufacture a saxophone from plastic was based upon the relative cheapness of the material rather than an improvement in tonal characteristics.

The instrument was conceived to have a plastic body; bell; and key guards; a brass neck (a plastic one would break in attachment); and a mechanism which incorporated a unique springing system. Many of the posts for attaching the mechanism were cast as part of the body.

The instrument was finally offered for sale to the public in 1950, at a price of 55 pounds, about half the cost on a conventional saxophone at the time.

The Grafton was a failure for some very good reasons: (1) the plastic construction just didn't sound like other saxophones and was not compatible with section playing. (2) The design of the mechanism gave a very unfamiliar "feel" to players. (3) the plastic body was very prone to cracking and the key guards snapped off easily. (4) Repair technicians were unfamiliar with the instrument and the necessary parts (particularly the unique springs) were not readily available.

[Soul Stream]

working musicians often play the cheapest stuff.... but sound best on it

expensive instruments are for people with dayjobs..

[AllenLowe]

well, the trouble started with that gig in in the desert - the sun beat down and that horn turned into a tuna melt - Bird had to borrow a cactus to play on -

[bichos]

Charlie Parker playing the Grafton sax at the Open Door with Monk at the piano:

hello all,

i don´t think that it´s the grafton sax on the picture with monk. on this (more focused) picture it looks different to me:

I researched Bird and Graftons a few years ago and read among other things that for legal reasons he was not supposed to play it publicly within the US and so he is most often viewed with it in Candada and Sweden. . . .

and i don´t think that bird used the plastic grafton on his tour in sweden.

i´m not at home in the moment but tomorrow i´ll be back with a list how often bird is documented with the white one. (as far as i know...)

keep boppin´

marcel

[couw]

Isn't that Open Door pic part of a series of photographs by Bob Parent?

I have always thought these were shot within a couple of minutes.

[BERIGAN]

The first to sure look that way. Looks like the glasses on the piano have the same level of fluid in them in each image....Columbo will keep his eye out for other similarities...

[couw]

Columbo will keep his eye out for other similarities...

-the suit

-the tie hanging over the lapel

-...

[bichos]

hello all,

just for fun and not really important - but here is a list (from various sources) of charlie parker playing the white grafton plastic saxophon (on recorded sound and on pictures):

-there are 2 pictures in the big book "to bird with love" by frances paudras and chan parker on pages 304/305 showing bird and his grafton without date only "collection chan parker".

-1 picture by bob douglas from 1953 in riverside, california shown in the booklet of an rhino cd compilation of l.a. jazz anthology on side 46. (i think it´s from the tour with chet baker and carson smith).

-2 pictures by huguette (rajotte) schwartz in the booklet of the uptown cd "bird in montreal" on page 13. the other one is in the mark miller book "cool blues, bird in canada" on page 45. it´s from the chez paree club, montreal, febr. 7, 1953.

-8 pictures by harold robinson from massey hall, toronto. may 15. 1953. seven are shown in the book "cool blues" by mark miller and one is on the cover of the uptown cd "bird in montreal". there is maybe the most famous parker pic with plastic sax (all the years credited to the frank driggs collection and not mentioned harold robinson)

-4 pictures by alan scharf also from the massey hall concert. shown also in mark miller´s "cool blues" and one different in geoffrey haydon: "quintet of the year".

-1 picture with candido, dizzy gillespie and bird at birdland from 1950. (i don´t have a photographers name and i think it´s not 1950 but later).

that makes only 18 pictures in toto. but i think there must be more!

bird plays his grafton also on this dates:

-probably on feb. 5, 1953 on cbc-tv, montreal. (only the soundtrack is avaiable on uptown cd. the cinescope is lost- till now.

-feb. 7, 1953: chez paree club, montreal . (also on uptown cd.)

-feb. 22, 1953: club kavakos, washington. (with the orchestra, the famous "one night in washington" gig with bird flying through the arrangements without knowing them. wonderful!!)

-may 09. 1953: birdland, new york city (an aircheck from boris rose, the mc bob garrity talks about his white plastic sax)

-may 15., 1953: massey hall, toronto

-may 09. 1954: open door, new york city

-ca. spring 1952 mccann´s, leominster, mass.

and after that

- rollaway ballroom, revere beach, mass. (no recordings from that gigs)

i hope, not boring anyone with this little list....

keep boppin´

marcel

[birdanddizzy]

thanks a lot !!!

[brownie]

Another photo of Bird playing the plastic saxophone

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

god damn marcel! u sure know your bird! i hope u are not nutz though cause the last guy i knew, who knew his bird as well as u do, he was COMPELETLY NUTZ!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

wait wait it wasnt marcel;;; it was Bichos. yea- u r the man

[bichos]

don´t worry: we two are only a little bit nutz.

keep boppin´

marcel and bichos