when was the saxophone first used in jazz
Saxophone Saxophones are also commonly used in jazz music, where it is one of the signature sounds, as well as an iconic image used to denote the style. Beginning in the early 20th century, saxophones became popular in dance orchestras, which were not jazz ensembles but influenced the format of the big swing era bands that were soon to follow. The arrival of the saxophone as a jazz instrument is attributed to tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins' stint with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra starting in 1923. The saxophone was soon embraced by Chicago-style musicians who added it, along with chordal instruments such as pianos, banjos, and guitars, to the trumpet-clarinet-trombone-bass-drums ensemble format inherited from New Orleans jazz.
Reed (mouthpiece) Single reeds are used on the mouthpieces of clarinets and saxophones. The back of the reed is flat and is placed against the mouthpiece, the rounded top side tapers to a thin tip. These reeds are roughly rectangular in shape except for the thin vibrating tip, which is curved to match the curve of the mouthpiece tip. All single reeds are shaped similarly but vary in size to fit each instrument's mouthpiece.