I was the first to comment on Jody Espina’s YouTube announcement regarding bringing the manufacturing of the Rousseau saxophone mouthpieces into his own plant. I made a big deal of it! If you missed that notice, here ’tis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uObbq5dfU_U

You can easily tell how excited I was. Given that, it is really hard to imagine that I could underestimate the importance of this move, but I did. I discovered this when Tyler Harris, who handles the entire classical line for Jody, sent me full sets of the new NC and JDX lines, knowing exactly the facing curves that I prefer.

Ok…well….WOW! How could I not have predicted how big a difference there was going to be between molded mouthpieces and the same design cut out of high quality German rubber with CNC equipment. It is not just the excellence of the quality of the rubber and the consistency of the engineering. These are revolutionary mouthpieces derived much more exactly from the soul and imagination of Dr. Rousseau. The rails, chambers, tips and slight baffles are executed more beautifully and symmetrically. Each mouthpiece’s sound is closer to the platonic ideal of their character….brawnier and denser in the tenor and baritone, sweeter, purer, and richer for the alto and soprano. There is more centre tonally and the rich golden colour and sweet grain of Dr Rousseau’s sound just wants to spring into the hall.

OK…it ain’t just me! I can think of no greater compliment than my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Alexander Richards of the Victoria Conservatory of Music instantly purchasing a new NC3 Alto mouthpiece after trying one out in my studio. Alex did his Masters with Dr. Rousseau and plays a Soprano mouthpiece to this day that Gene hand-made for him. Alex is returning soon to try all the other sizes. Alex is a brilliant teacher and sublime player who does not change equipment lightly.

The Rousseau JDX Jazz models have received an even bigger overhaul, incorporating the V chamber from the Baritone model into the other sizes, and a Soprano model is available for the very first time.

I was expecting to be amazed, but I’m astounded. Thank you, Jody and team, for honouring Dr. Rousseau’s vision and memory so beautifully, and providing this renaissance for all our current and future players.