Inside the saxophone and the clarinet

Tiny Desk concerts have become a global stage for authentic performance. From Havana to Baltimore to Tokyo, Syos artists Christian Ortiz, Brent Birckhead, and David Negrete brought their custom sounds to this intimate setting, proving that a mouthpiece can carry character and culture as much as notes.

Born in the dance halls and blues clubs of Texas, the “Texas Tenor” tradition is raw, powerful, and deeply soulful. It is a sound carried by legends like Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, and King Curtis. Today, it lives on through modern players and mouthpieces like the Robert Martin Signature Tenor, designed to capture that same grit, projection, and blues-soaked presence.

Meet UPSCAL3D: the new material for saxophone and clarinet mouthpieces that brings greater durability, safety, and performance.

Fela’s youngest son keeps the Afrobeat flame alive. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 brought a set to KEXP that pulsed with funk, fire and protest, reminding listeners that some messages never lose their relevance. As a Syos artist, Seun shapes his saxophone tone with a custom mouthpiece designed to carry both the urgency of his message and the joy of the groove.

Josh Plotner takes Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and turns it into a one-man saxophone orchestra. Playing soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass saxophones, each with a Syos mouthpiece, Josh layers every part of the track into a bright, fun, and energetic performance. Complete with clever video editing and an improvised solo that steals the show, it’s a joyful reminder of how versatile both the saxophone and Syos mouthpieces can be.

A closer look at the double lip embouchure, how it works, why it faded from use, and what it can reveal about your playing today.

Grammy winner Lorenzo Ferrero sat down with us for a one-on-one chat about his Syos Signature mouthpiece, sound design, and what most saxophonists misunderstand about gear. From initial skepticism to fine-tuned nuance, his insights reveal just how personal a mouthpiece can be.

Leo Dale is no stranger to musical exploration. The Australian saxophonist blends jazz, Indian classical, and ambient soundscapes across projects like Mantra LIVE, Raga Saga, and From Now OM. In this video, he plugs in with a Tivon Pennicott #7 Syos mouthpiece and records a fully improvised jam with Quinn Knight and Moses Carr. The result? A slow-build session that moves from spiritual to groovy to melancholic, with no notes written in advance.

From the Francofolies to the Jazz Festival, I finally got to experience the Montreal summer music scene. And of course, Syos mouthpieces were on stage, played by some truly inspiring musicians.