It's just a tiny piece of cane. Or maybe it's synthetic. Either way, it costs between $3 and $42, and it completely shapes your sound. Welcome to the world of saxophone reeds—where half the reeds in every box are duds, where you can love something for two weeks and then watch it fall apart, and where the quest for consistency can turn into a decades-long journey.

In this episode, Keith shares his entire reed evolution—from almost quitting the saxophone at age 15 because his teacher started him on a Vandoren Classical #4 (way too hard for a beginner), to finding the Vandoren ZZ that finally unlocked altissimo, to settling on D'Addario Select Jazz 2M Filed as his benchmark for brightness and consistency.

But the story doesn't end there. Keith also dives into the world of synthetic reeds—testing the indestructible Forestone Hinoki (his son used one reed for a year and a half!) and the Légère American Cut (amazing tone, but only lasts two weeks before splitting at $42 a pop).

The episode includes a live 4-reed comparison where Keith plays the same musical examples on D'Addario Select Jazz, BetterSax, Forestone Hinoki, and a degraded Légère so you can hear the tonal differences for yourself.

Keith also shares his wish list of reeds he wants to try next—D'Addario LaVoz (the reed Kenny G uses), Rigotti Gold (the company that makes reeds for boutique brands like BetterSax and Roberto's Winds), Boston Sax Shop Silver or Red Box, Forestone Bamboo Black with Double Blast XS, and Fibracell Premier.

The big takeaway? Experimenting with reeds is the cheapest way to transform your saxophone sound. You can spend $30-40 on a box of reeds and completely change your tone, compared to hundreds or thousands for a new mouthpiece or saxophone. The reed is where the vibration starts—it's where your tone is born. So don't be afraid to experiment until you find the one that clicks.

Saxing Around with Keith: The Sax-Kwentuhan of Ketong

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Contact: saxingkeith@gmail.com

YouTube: @JustSaxingWithKeith

This week, we say goodbye to the Saxophone Colossus.

Sonny Rollins - the last of the jazz gods - has left the stage. And for anyone who plays the saxophone, this loss cuts deep.

In this extended tribute episode, Keith shares how he discovered Sonny late (thanks to Manila's smooth jazz radio scene), what makes his sound so impossible to replicate, and why his legacy goes far beyond the notes he played.

What You'll Hear:

• The Invisible Giant - Why Sonny wasn't on Manila's jazz radio in the '90s

• The Battle of the Horns - Buescher vs. Selmer, Otto Link vs. Berg Larsen

• Overtone Mastery - The deceptive simplicity of "Alfie's Theme" and "St. Thomas"

• The Warrior Spirit - The Opus 40 jump story (he broke his heel and kept playing!)

• Fearless Evolution - From bebop to avant-garde without hesitation

• The Sabbatical Master - Williamsburg Bridge, India, and the courage to walk away

• The 9/11 Concert - Six blocks from Ground Zero, four days later he played

• Pulmonary Fibrosis - How the Colossus found grace when he lost his voice

• The Piano-Less Trio - Why Sonny didn't need chords to create a world of sound

• The Controversial Take - Why Keith prefers Sonny over Coltrane (it's the fun factor)

This episode is reverent, personal, educational, and deeply emotional. It's a celebration of a life spent in service to the music.

Mentioned Albums:

- Saxophone Colossus

- The Bridge

- Way Out West

- Our Man in Jazz

- East Broadway Run Down

- Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert

- Next Album

If you play saxophone, or if you just love jazz, this one's for you.

Rest in power, Sonny Rollins. The echo of your horn on the Williamsburg Bridge will never fade.

Keith discovers the Manila blues scene he never knew existed — even though he was literally in the same neighborhood, sometimes in the same venues, just on the wrong nights.

From Binky Lampano and Dean's December at Red Rocks while Keith was at Birdland watching jazz. To 70's Bistro Sundays he never attended. To Martini's at the Mandarin Oriental where he knew more blues than the band. To the Birdland-to-Ozone Disco tragedy that took 162 lives one month after he left the country.

Plus: the complete Manila Blues Taxonomy — BINO, BIVO, BIB, TBR, and a fifth category Keith is coining tonight. The four-district map. The family tree. And why your identity doesn't require having been in the room where it happened.

The episode ends with the first installment of the Filipino Blues Suite: "Magtanim ay Di Biro" — a Filipino folk song about planting rice, played as Delta blues. Solo. Raw. The way it starts before the band joins in.

The blues was always in the soil. We just didn't know what to call it.

Tribute to Binky Lampano, Eddie Katindig, and the Filipino blues pioneers who created art in the margins.