A Backstage Story: Syos and The Herbaliser

A Backstage Story: Syos and The Herbaliser

When two saxophonists got stuck in Paris traffic, I thought my chance was lost. Little did I know, those few frantic minutes would change everything...

Facebook sent me this memory photo a few days ago.

It reminded me of good memories and I wanted to share it with you!

This photo is from September 9, 2016, we had just created Syos with Maxime. It was during the Jazz à la Villette festival in Paris.

I had seen that the Herbaliser were coming to play that day at the festival, so I contacted the two saxophonists of the group, James Morton and Andrew Ross, to ask if they wanted to test the mouthpieces.

They immediately accepted and we agreed to meet during their soundcheck.

Unfortunately, they had some problems crossing the Channel and then got stuck in Parisian traffic jams.

They finally arrived only when the doors of the Cabaret Sauvage were opening...

I was so sad about that missed opportunity to test the mouthpieces but...

They had dinner very quickly and then told me, "We're not going to miss this chance to try your mouthpieces, we have a few minutes left, during the opening act (which turned out to be The Comet is Coming. I only met Shabaka Hutchings a few years later...), let's go!"

So we went to the dressing rooms and I had them test a few mouthpiece models which they immediately loved!

And the craziest thing about all this?

They both decided to play their new Syos mouthpiece at the concert that very evening and it was an insane concert! I felt so proud!

After the concert, I kept in touch with James, I made a few modifications to his mouthpiece a few months later. And he's still playing that mouthpiece, more than 8 years later :)