bobackermansaxophones.com/About

About Us

bobackermansaxophones.com is run by Progressive Winds. We sell all price ranges of saxophones - from inexpensive to expensive. The reason? Because of the work that goes into bringing the instruments up to the highest standard possible before it is sold. Therefore, pricing levels are different for each instrument. Progressive Winds is very competitive and aggressive with their pricing structure. And don't forget that we are happy to take trade-ins and horns on consignment.

Why do you need Bob Ackerman?

Bob Ackerman, Vintage instrument expert, master jazz musician, and Chase Music & Cadence recording artist, has devoted most of his life to developing his perceptions with regard to quality musical instruments. He is a featured columnist in the Saxophone Journal & has done several Master Class CDs for SJ and Jazz Player. Select Vintage instruments are restored and taken to a whole new level of excellence. Bob Ackerman is your answer for ALL your woodwind needs!

Please Note: You can now purchase directly from us all of the Saxophone Journal articles and CDs The Jazz Player play along CD will be included as a bonus. This is a fine learning tool, with a rhythm section of Kent Glenn on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, Walter Perkins on drums and Vic Juris on guitar, Bob on woodwinds and some really challenging original compositions.

Comparison of Instruments

30's silver plated & lacquered Conns
40's & 50's Buescher, Conn, King & Martin
40's, 50's, 60's & 70's Selmer
Newer Yamaha, Yanagasawa & Selmer

Are instruments more expensive from Progressive Winds?

We sell all price ranges of saxophones - from inexpensive to expensive. The reason? Because of the work that goes into bringing the instruments up to the highest standard possible before it is sold. Therefore, pricing levels are different for each instrument. Progressive Winds is very competitive and aggressive with their pricing structure. And don't forget that we are happy to take trade-ins and horns on consignment.

Buy / Sell Vintage Horns & Mouthpieces

When you buy a vintage sax, $400 to $800 of the cost should be the Set Up; the right pads, resonators (style, size, yes or no), springs, key height, ergonomics, the right mouthpiece, etc. I hear of so many people buying a horn that they know nothing about which ends up not playing for them. With the advent of the internet, most businesses that are in the middle, selling products that others have manufactured are in trouble. Most people now believe they can buy direct and save money. And this is true assuming you really know your subject, whether you are buying or selling. But be aware … There is a great deal to know.

We are a service business. If you own an instrument & it isn’t playing correctly, contact us for help. Remember there is no substitute for hands on service and help. The internet is best for the initial contact only.

We are a rich source for saxes, clarinets, flutes and mouthpieces. And since vintage original mouthpieces are getting so rare, we make our own mouthpieces, focusing on traditional-vintage designs. At our shop you will find a great collection of vintage American horns and Selmers.

Why is this?

Because our inventory is the result of 20+ years of trading, buying, selling and playing vintage instruments and mouthpieces. I know what these instruments and mouthpieces do because I have played them all at one time or another. Just ask my wife. I am a maniac for exploring their different characteristics. It is one of my passions. I have 4 Masterclass CDs for the Saxophone Journal exploring various horns and mouthpieces. (CLICK HERE for more info) So we have a quality collection. We have the right numbers of the best models.

But here is my main point.

I would like to see everyone take advantage of the opportunity to compare the various personalities that vintage saxes offer. I believe that playing on vintage models should be a part of every serious player’s education. It is our heritage and without firm rooting in our subject like this, it is easy to get boxed in. This experience will definitely give your music a more distinctive sound.

At Progressive Winds

You can still use careful selection as the method of purchasing your instrument. If you have learned the value of vintage saxes, we are the place to come. Where else can you see and play most of the good models in one day? We are 20 minutes from NYC, right off the Garden State Parkway.
Call us today for an appointment. 973-375-5859

Biography

I started playing saxophone at age nine in New Jersey. I like to tell the story of how me and my little brother would tell our mother we were playing ball and then hop a train to New York where we would stand outside and listen to Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldrige, and Gene Krupa during the Saturday matinees at the Metropole. It was about this same time that I discovered Bird and that was that. "Listening to those guys, I knew what I wanted to do."

Educated at Columbia University, I studied privately on woodwinds with Joe Allard, composition with Arthur Murphy, and classical flute with Tom Nyfenger and Alan Winkleman and most recently with Keith Underwood. I soon found myself working with such diverse artists as Phillip Glass and Steve Reich, Joe Morello, Mike Mellillo, John Coates and Chet Baker. Most recently I have recorded with Mike Richmond, Wilber Morris, Denis Charles and Bob Kaplan, Rudy Petschauer, Adam Scone, Cameron Brown, Walter Perkins, and Vic Juris.

I consider myself to be a prolific composer, (3 tunes of which are on my CD, Big Daddy). I have received a Ford Foundation Grant and a National Endowment Grant for these compositions.

In 1975, I met and married Pam Purvis, and since that time we have worked together, developing a musical approach involving the voice and horn in duet, using especially the clarinet because it blends well with the timbre of Pam's voice and also because it has been largely neglected by jazz reed players. I feel that I can play the clarinet in a way that will appeal to even the die-hard sax lovers. It is an incredibly expressive and beautiful instrument. On the subject of music; "We want our music to swing and get you moving, but we are also interested in subtleties of color, harmony and nuance."

I am a musician's musician, being a prolific composer, arranger, and the master of soprano, alto, tenor, bari saxophone; bass and Bb clarinet; soprano, alto, and bass flute; all of which can be heard at one time or another on my various recordings.

I now have 5 Master Class Articles/CDs for the Sax Journal:

Using Vintage Saxophones in Jazz Improvization

Great Horns of America

The Tenor Sax Mouthpiece (16 Vintage tenor pieces)

The Historical Development and Use of 14 Jazz Alto Mouthpieces

Duo/Trio Masterclass

**** These 5 Article/CD projects can now be purchased directly for us for $50. + S/H of $10.00 and as a thank you we will include my Jazz Player play-along CD which has Cameron Brown on bass, Walter Perkins on drums, Vic Juris on guitar, Kent Glenn on piano, and myself on woodwinds.****

Email us at pwsax@comcast.net