Jody Jazz DV Brass sax mouthpiece

And judging by the roster of stellar players that now blow through the JJ mouthpiece, there’s no question that all those hours of soul searching and R&D have been worth the midnight oil.

We took delivery of a DV mouthpiece for our Selmer Alto and were immediately struck by the unusual packaging – this mouthpiece is presented in a velour pouch in a lightweight wooden cylindrical box/canister, with its string/button tie!

The mouthpiece itself is akin to a piece of select sculpture – the unit has quality written all over it. We reckon the sculptor Henry Moore would have been pleased with this beauty – and in 24kt gold plate too. In fact, the whole development of the unit has been built around the concept of Golden Section Proportions (interestingly a visual art term). Espina was looking to create the perfect chamber/bore/facing combination, which would result in the best possible playing experience.

Free blowing it certainly is. In fact it’s totally effortless. There’s a consistency of sound all through the register and the tone is much darker and more sweet and smooth than a standard metal mouthpiece (ie: our Brancher). To our ear, the JJ didn’t seem to have as much punch in the middle as our Brancher, but it more than makes up for this in the ‘sotto voce’ with a beautifully controlled sound – and there’s not a hint of the shrillness usually associated with metal. OK, it doesn’t come cheap. But then, neither do silk sheets! The mouthpiece comes with a Rico ‘H’ ligature and shaped cap.

For more info go to www.jodyjazz.com