The Player: Nicole Johänntgen

“The saxophone plays all my emotions,” says Nicole Johänntgen. “There is even a moment when it plays itself! My goal in general is the emotion in a sound. The saxophone is my extended lung. I breathe with the instrument.”

In common with many young people brought up in a musical environment, Johänntgen started her musical odyssey on the piano: “I was still in a diaper and smaller than the height of the piano keyboard and I played wildly on the keys. I couldn’t see them, but I really liked the sounds.”

When Johänntgen was six, she started taking classical piano lessons at the Sulzbach/Saar music school “I was always fascinated by playing the piano freely.” Johänntgen didn’t take up the saxophone until she was 13: “I had lessons at music school and after a year I played in my father’s Joe Fox Band. For me it was the best adventure to start playing in this band. To see how the interaction between audience and band worked and how important it is.” Johänntgen also played in the Jugendjazzorchester (youth jazz orchestra).

So where was her inspiration coming from? “I love the melodies of Chopin and Ravel, but I also love the funk of Maceo Parker and Candy Dulfer. Cannonball Adderley’s soulful playing of melodies and phrasing, Dexter Gordon for his time feel and above all, John Coltrane. One note, one sound, one person! You can recognise him immediately.”

Johänntgen recalls the purchase of that first saxophone: “I bought my first alto saxophone in Saarbrücken at the Knopp music store. I got a Yamaha 32 alto from my parents. I can remember it very well. There were several models hanging on the wall and I said to my parents that I wanted the saxophone that didn’t have that white thing on the mouthpiece. The white thing was the mouthpiece cap! I loved that instrument and always kept it shiny. I don’t do that anymore as I now prefer it when the instrument isn’t shiny!”

She continues,: “A year later I wanted to try out a Selmer saxophone. I bought a Series II in the same music store and sold my Yamaha to a friend. So I knew that my Yamaha saxophone was and still is in good hands. I played my Selmer II for quite a long time until I felt like trying out an old Selmer sax. I went with my brother to the Bruno Waltersbacher saxophone shop, where there are lots of old instruments, in Lahr. He had two Selmer Mark VI altos on the table at the time. A gold-silver and a silver model. I decided on the gold one with silver keys. I was 15 and I’ve been playing that instrument ever since. I love it. It fits my small hands perfectly and is a light instrument. We both suit each other. But there are always people who ask me if I would like to play a new instrument. I like to try things out, but I’ll stick with my saxophone forever and ever.”

Johänntgen also owns two soprano saxophones and always takes one along with her alto when she travels: “I decided that for convenience, I needed one case that would take both instruments. I found one in Spain. But, only a soprano with a flexible neck fits in. That was when I began to work with Selmer and subsequently became a Selmer artist/endorsee. I bought a sliver plated soprano Series III with a flexible neck, fitted with a Yanagisawa mouthpiece opening 7. This is my travel instrument.”

We move on to mouthpieces: “I’ve used a Meyer 6 on my alto since I was 17. I have tested others, but there is a whole world behind it to feel it is the right mouthpiece. It depends on what you prefer – rubber or metal.

"Then there is the question as to which pads are on the keys? Are they metal resonators or plastic resonators? What kind of sound do you want? Then it depends on which instrument it is? An alto, soprano, C melody, tenor or baritone? For me, the angle of the ‘beak’ is relevant.

"Some mouthpieces are relatively steep, others are more shallow. I can only play the ones that rise slowly in angle, otherwise I get a headache. My old Meyer 6M sounds exactly the same as when I play a new Meyer 6M. I always thought the old ones sounded better. But it’s not like that with me.”

When it comes to ligatures, Johänntgen tells me that after much experimentation she has ended up with a Selmer ligature with two screws.

“There are so many on the market now, but I like it when the ligature is not too big. My choice of ligature takes out the slight ‘sss’ frequencies. That’s why I really like them.”

Does Johänntgen use pedals? Short answer: “No!”

We continue with something that is clearly very dear to Nicole’s heart: “In my saxophone quartet I play what I call the ‘old lady’. She is from the former DDR [East Germany] and weighs quite something, but the sound is incredible! And the old lady is like a steam train (YouTube: ‘Take the Steam Train’ video). The saxophone is an ancient Weltklang and I play her with a Jody Jazz mouthpiece (or she plays me! ) with D’Addario Jazz select unfiled 2M reeds. It works great!”