Saxophone
section from the 1919-1920 Sousa Band
featuring legendary soloist H. Benne Henton (third from right).
saxophone soloists with sousa: introduction
Copyrighted by Michael Hester
John Philip Sousa believed that soloists were an important element in an entertaining musical program. Soloists not only helped provide a personal connection between the band and the audience, but also added a sense of variety (which helped keep the listener involved) by shifting the interest around the band both visually and aurally. Sousa historian Paul Bierley suggests that Sousa "knew from his own experience that solos contributed to the individual musician's confidence and poise by affording him a direct appeal to the audience. Also, the depth of the band's talent was revealed." Sousa featured solo performers from nearly all of the sections in the band at one time or another and regularly presented virtuosic performances by vocalists and instrumentalists performing on the violin and 'cello.
Among the soloists performing with the Sousa Band between 1892
and 1932 were ten saxophonists: Edward A. Lefebre, Jean H. B.
Moeremans, Ralph Lick, H. Benne Henton, Jascha Gurewich, Anthony
D'Ortenzio, Fred Bayers, Richard Gooding, Harold B. Stephens
and Edward J. Heney. A complete study of these saxophone soloists,
with respect to their work with Sousa, has not been written prior
to this project. A few notable historians have implied that solos
were performed by saxophonists in Sousa's professional band,
but as of yet no source has presented a chronology of documented
concert appearances by these saxophone soloists during the years
they performed with Sousa.
The presentation of documented performances throughout this document
will demonstrate that saxophonists played an important role as
solo performers during at least 518 Sousa concerts. This paper
will not attempt to assess the abilities of each particular saxophonist
performing with the Sousa Band. It will also not be presumed
that the music performed by these saxophonists should become
a part of the saxophone's current, standard repertoire. A sincere
effort has been made, however, to determine the specific activities
of the soloists during the time they performed with Sousa and
to uncover a body of literature performed by these individuals.
This project is primarily an attempt to facilitate the inclusion
of Sousa's saxophonists into the complete and on-going dialogue
regarding the saxophone's short, but very interesting history.
The information presented during the course of this document
is divided into two main sections: "A Curious Instrument,
1893 to 1905" and "The Saxophone Craze, 1919-1930."
These headings represent two periods of time in which the saxophone
soloist was a prominent feature in Sousa's performances. Keith
Brion, a noted Sousa scholar, suggests that during the early
years of the band many audience members viewed the saxophone
as a novel, or curious instrument. Brion's suggestion is supported
by reviews of select Sousa Band concerts which took place during
the 1903 and 1905 tours of England. The "saxophone craze"
refers to a time in American musical history roughly between
the years of 1915 and 1930 when several hundreds of thousands
of saxophones were purchased by people across the United States.
Vaudeville groups such as the Brown Brothers began incorporating
the saxophone into rag-time music and other popular music genres
and by 1919-20 the great clarinetist Sidney Bechet began to play
jazz using a soprano saxophone. The sight and sound of the saxophone
with its many attractive and even not-so-attractive sound possibilities,
its relatively easy fingering system and an over abundance of
ambitious instrument companies contributed to the multitude of
saxophone purchases. Sousa did not much appreciate the earliest
jazz, but grew to realize its significance in American culture
and its popularity among American audiences. The saxophone, therefore,
became Sousa's exponent of jazz music through his soloists and
even more so through the extremely popular saxophone ensemble.
Excerpts from several contemporary newspaper reviews are provided
throughout the document and are intended to act as windows into
the past. These reviews will allow the reader to observe the
overwhelmingly positive manner with which the public received
the saxophonist, the music performed and the saxophone itself.
During the course of this paper, compositions by Sousa's saxophonists
are discussed with regard to programming, note-worthy performance
techniques and/or their appearance in reviews.
No attempt was made to analyze musically the works performed
by Sousa's saxophone soloists. It is the author's intent to present
the complete story of the saxophonists during their years performing
under the baton of John Philip Sousa. These saxophonists and
their music have been, to a large extent, forgotten by modern
saxophonists. It is hoped that this project will help saxophonists'
develop a more complete perspective of their instrument's history
and an added appreciation for those who came before us.
Michael Hester is available to lecture on this topic and/or perform with bands and orchestras.
Complete Doctoral Document "A Study of the Saxophone Soloists Performing with the John Philip Sousa Band: 1893-1930" (1995, 146 pages) is available through:
300 N. Zeeb Road
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106
1-800-521-0600