Rigotti

The primary obstacle to my saxophone career has been my flirtation with life-threatening, cognition-impairing autoimmune brain disease. But the first runner-up would have to be the prohibitive cost and notorious inconsistency of most brands of saxophone reeds. In a $25 box of 5 reeds by some of the premium names in reeds, most players would be lucky to find 2 they could play on a gig.

Fortunately, once while in college, I sent my father to Roberto's Woodwinds (around the corner from his office, my sloth was not so egregious) to pick up a couple of boxes of reeds. While there, he heard some chatter about the quality and consistency of Rigotti Gold reeds and grabbed a box in my strength to see if I might like them.

At first I was stupefied by his audacity. In a decade of saxophone playing, I had yet to find a reliable manufacturer of reeds; surely he, a non-musician, could not have bested me. However, when I eventually gave the reeds a try, I was bowled over by their projection, warmth, and consistency. In a box of 10, the majority were playable and the best were inspiring.

Ever since my sophomore year at Columbia, I have dutifully played Rigotti's reeds, and it is a great honor to announce that after speaking with Daniel Rigotti, the man behind this great company, I will be endorsing their product.

Check them out at their website!