Joseph-Antoine Adolphe Sax died in poverty in 1894 but left a remarkable legacy: the saxophone. Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome, the creative duo behind Before She Was Harriet, tell the story of the instrument's creation in The Story of the Saxophone, a now-essential piece of reading for music lovers.
Adolphe was the inventive son of a Belgian instrument maker who "let him be while [he] tested and tinkered and tweaked" his own instruments. Adolphe dreamt of a brand-new sound and, after much experimentation, built "his masterpiece." Belgium and Paris rejected the instrument, but composer Hector Berlioz championed it, naming it "le saxophon." Adolphe, in an effort to convince the world to embrace his creation, even took part in a "musical duel" with the French military band. Soon, saxophones were a part of regimental bands in many European countries.
The book notes Adolphe's many instances of "bad luck," including blackmail, an attempted stabbing, and bankruptcy. As the book comes to its close, the author explains how the instrument made its way to the Americas and into the hands of such musicians as Lester Young and Charlie Parker. The illustrator incorporates collage elements, such as photos of saxophones, into his dynamic watercolor art. Ransome's detailed, relaxed line captures historical periods with precision and vibrancy, and his illustrations of the jazz musicians who made the instrument famous are especially striking. It's a biography whose warm, mellow tone matches that of the instrument itself. --Julie Danielson, reviewer