H Des 4 explores the almost unknown and unheard low saxophone and clarinet tones and sounds, goes to the sonic underground with original compositions, sound concepts and instant compositions by the four musicians…
Thomas K.J. Mejer and Peter A. Schmid are already more than 20 years together on a low notes expedition, released in 2006 the CD „Nautilus“ – Music for contrabass saxophones and played the low horns in the Lucerne/Chicago saxophone sextet “Keefe Jacksons likely so“.
And now Florian Haupt and Sebastian Strinning join the trip with their low horns…
Until recently only few low saxophones have been built and they were difficult to play in tune. Therefore almost no original compositions exist where these instruments can be heard in the foreground.
But then the ingenious German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim (1967 – 2023) revolutionized the low saxophone, first with his Tubax (a contrabass saxophone in Eb with a narrower bore and new compact construction), first built in 1999 – the first really playable contrabass saxophone with fantastic mechanics and sound!
And he went on to build other instruments that outshone everything that had ever been built before: bassax, contrabassax, subcontrabassax, C-bassax, contrabass clarinet…
The music of H Des 4 is dedicated to Benedikt Eppelsheim
Photos: Palma Fiacco
Thomas K.J. Mejer C tubax, baritone sax
Sebastian Strinning contrabass clarinet, contrabassax, tenor sax
Florian Haupt Eb tubax, baritone sax
Peter A. Schmid contrabassax, bass clarinet
