Saxing With Keith: The Sax-Kuwentuhan of Ketong

Is it the player or the horn? In this episode, Keith takes us through the three-decade history of his primary instrument. We start in 1986 in San Juan, Metro Manila, where a $78 Buescher Aristocrat 200 became his first "voice." Keith shares the stories that made that student horn legendary—from failing at transposition in his first band to the "Bugle vs. Saxophone" battle at the 1991 SEA Games, and the unforgettable "Secret Harana" where he serenaded his wife under a Quezon City streetlamp.Finally, we jump to 2019, where a text message from a music store manager led to a life-changing Christmas gift: the Yamaha YAS-62IIIS "Silver Beauty." Keith discusses the technical and psychological shift of moving to a pro horn and settling the debate: Does the silver finish actually change the sound? In this episode: * The Buescher Era: Growing up with a student horn in the Philippines. * The Bugle Battle: Winning over the crowd with Jose Mari Chan's "Beautiful Girl." * The Harana: The cultural tradition of the Filipino serenade. * The Gear Hunt: Testing Selmer, Yanagisawa, and Eastman before finding "the one." * Lacquer vs. Silver: Why the YAS-62S felt more "alive" than the standard finish. Just keep on saxing around. 🎷🔥

In this episode, I'm confessing my mouthpiece obsession – from the Selmer Metal Jazz size F that became my college setup, to discovering the CE Winds Studio Sonic (my first altissimo G!), and finally landing on the Theo Wanne Earth 2.You'll hear stories about meeting killer sax players like Scott Solomon in Old Bridge, NJ, the time I shared a cab with Joel Frahm AND a swarm of bees in NYC, and meeting Grammy-nominated saxophonist John Michalak. I'll also explain why an alto mouthpiece sized "F" is brutal for beginners, but a tenor "F" is totally different.And yes – I'll make the big confession. The one my wife discovered. Let's just say... she had questions.If you're a gear nerd, a mouthpiece chaser, or just someone who's wondered "does this mouthpiece really make a difference?" – this one's for you.

In this episode, you'll hear about my journey from Yamaha Music School in Greenhills, Philippines to gigging in New Jersey with two bands (Jazzilog and Dizzy Cats). I'll talk about the nightmare of practicing altissimo in a living room, then a bathroom, then finally escaping to the garage. You'll hear multiple live attempts at David Sanborn's "The Dream" – including the ones where I completely bomb. And I'll share the YouTube video and techniques that finally helped me crack the code. This is the story of how a Spyro Gyra album from 1982 – *Incognito* – changed my life when I first heard it in 1986, and why I still practice in my garage at night (because my neighbors need sleep). If you've ever struggled with altissimo, bombed at a gig, or wondered if you'll ever sound like your heroes – this episode's for you.