Over one hundred years ago, since the saxophone was a fairly new instrument (patented by Antoine-Joseph “Adolphe” Sax in 1846) there was a saxophone craze, and saxophone bands were a very popular sight in Vaudeville and ragtime circuits and various other entertainment venues as the rags and popular music of the day evolved into what became the jazz scene. Saxophone artists such as the Six Brown Brothers (later known as the Five Brown Brothers), and even more notably, Rudy Wiedeoft a very talented saxophone performer helped make the saxophone a permanent part of the jazz scene. Saxophone ensembles have continued to celebrate this music even today with the Royal City Saxophone Quartet and the Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra as more modern examples.
Brown Paper Sax focuses on the Foxtrots and Rags of yesteryear. We play a number of original Six Brown Brothers arrangements, and also play arrangements of music by the following composers:
- Scott Joplin
- Joseph F. Lamb
- George A. Finder
- Brown & Shrigley
- Robert Hampton
- James Scott
- Robert Bolcom
- Rudy Wiedoeft
- “Jelly Roll” Morton
- Jules Buffano
- Harry Austin Tierney
- Frank Henri Klickmann
- Leroy Anderson
- George Gershwin
- David Thomas Roberts
- E. C. Barroll
- Robert Browne Hall “New England’s March King”
- John Phillip Sousa
- and many others!
- Many of our arrangements (including all of our Joseph Lamb arrangements) were created by Terence B. Martin from the original piano scores. Terry has a number of saxophone quartet arrangements available for purchase on Amazon. John Loughran has also done a bit of arranging for the group. Contact us if you would like more details.
