Episode 2: The History of Cannonball Saxophones (Details)
I don't play Cannonball saxophones currently, but they've always held a special place in my heart because Cannonball is an American company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. I admire them so much, and their dedication to operate in the United States, that I may buy a Cannonball saxophone one day in the future. I produced Episode 2 so that I could learn much more about the Cannonball company.
The first thing that I noticed about Cannonball saxophones is how beautiful they are. They have some very unique design features, such as the patented "fat" neck. The fat neck has a slightly larger bore dimension than regular saxophone necks. It also has a unique underslung octave mechanism. These two innovations lead to a much more open airflow in Cannonball fat necks.
During my research, I learned that Cannonball saxophones are manufactured in Taiwan. After the manufacturing process is complete, the saxophones are shipped to Salt Lake City, Utah where finishing processes such as engraving, manual adjustments, quality control inspections, and the application of Cannonball's proprietary acoustic treatments take place.
The Cannonball saxophone product line that most impresses me is the Cannonball Big Bell Stone Series. Dr. Wally Wallace, a professional saxophonist and saxophone educator, does a fantastic review of the Big Bell Stone Series (see Reference 1).
Cannonball Musical Instruments was founded in 1996 by two musicians: Tevis and Sheryl Laukat. Their saxophones are highly esteemed, and they're played by many good players. Perhaps the most well-known saxophonist who plays Cannonball saxophones is Gerald Albright. Cannonball manufactures Gerald Albright signature saxophones in soprano, alto, and tenor versions.
Gerald Albright has performed live with the Cannonball Band on multiple occasions. In 2021, he joined the group for a funky jazz rendition of Pee Wee Ellis’s composition "The Chicken"—a song made famous by James Brown and later popularized by Jaco Pastorius. The music for the performance was arranged by Vince Norman, and it was recorded live on the Cannonball Stage at The Villa in Sandy, Utah.
For the performance, Albright played alongside the following members of the Cannonball Band (see Reference 2):
The Cannonball Band (2021 Performance of "The Chicken"):
- Gerald Albright – Alto Saxophone (GA5-SB)
- Tevis Laukat – Tenor Saxophone (T5-B)
- Randal Clark – Alto Saxophone (AVR-L)
- Ryan Lillywhite – Baritone Saxophone (Artist Series B7-B)
- Tony Elison – Keyboards
- Kenji Aihara – Guitar
- Denson Angulo – Bass
- Joel Stevenett – Drums
In addition to saxophones, Cannonball also manufactures trumpets, clarinets, and flutes.
The Episode 2 video is below. Enjoy!
Note: All citations below are in the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) format.
References:
- Saxophone Academy. (2022, April 27). Cannonball Big Bell Stone Series Review (pro sax under $4,000) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SFTjq2aANI
- Cannonball Music. (2021, August 13). The Chicken - The Cannonball Band feat. Gerald Albright [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5Fvi6aTcQ