THE STORY OF THE SAXOPHONE

Lesa Cline-Ransome's biography for beginning readers about Joseph-Antoine Adolphe Sax and his most famous musical invention, the saxophone, cooks with rhythm and swing as narrated with aplomb by Cary Hite. Hite's baritone is smooth, warm, and well suited to this text as he shares the origin and bumpy path to acceptance of the saxophone by musicians worldwide. The story picks up energy once it arrives in New Orleans, where the saxophone makes jazz music coalesce and inspires a long string of saxophone players. After the audiobook opens with a short riff by an alto saxophone, a fuller musical soundtrack runs under the text, morphing to match either the composer or the musical style being described at the time. A charming lesson for music appreciation students. S.D.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]