SaxMas

The 29th Annual San Jose SaXmas recap

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs , ,
Dad’s sop sax

By Ande Jacobson

On Saturday, 16 December 2023, the 29th Annual San Jose Saxophone Christmas (or SaXmas for short) happened. Sax players of all levels got together as they do each year (except in 2020 for obvious reasons) and made holiday music together on saxes of all shapes and sizes. For some players, this is the only time they bring out their saxophones, while for others, it’s one of dozens (or possibly even hundreds) of gigs they play each year.

First, the ensemble rehearsed for a couple of hours down in South San Jose playing through this year’s concert selections. Then they broke for lunch and reconvened in downtown San Jose to play their first concert at Christmas in the Park. They then moseyed over to Eastridge Shopping Mall for their final concert of the day. Continue reading →

Come hear (or play) SaXmas this December

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By Ande Jacobson

Over the years, I’ve written several articles promoting the annual holiday tradition – San Jose’s Saxophone Christmas (or SaXmas for short). Saxophone Christmas is the brainchild of founder Ray Bernd, a man who is a walking saxophone encyclopedia and strives to bring saxophonists together to share their love of this unique and often misunderstood family of instruments. While not exactly a flash mob in the traditional sense, SaXmas is a one day festival of holiday music to brighten the season. The players gather in the morning to renew old friendships and spend a couple of hours together playing through a set of holiday tunes, most of which are arranged for this momentous ensemble by Ray himself. After a short break, the group then plays two free concerts in the local area that afternoon. Ray always tries to schedule the earlier concert at an outdoor venue, and the second concert at an indoor location. That way even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, there will be at least one concert, and with any luck, two. The San Jose SaXmas is always on the third Saturday of December. This year that puts the 29th annual event on 16 December 2023. The San Jose SaXmas concerts will take place as follows:

  • San Jose’s Christmas in the Park from 2-3pm, weather permitting
  • Eastridge Mall from 5-6pm no matter the weather

For those in the Sacramento area, there’s a SaXmas for you as well! The 11th annual Sacramento SaXmas concerts (both inside) will take place on 2 December 2023 as follows:

  • KP International Market – Rancho Cordova (inside the market – by the food court) 2-3pm
  • Sunrise Mall – (inside mall – near entrance of Macy’s south) 5-6pm

Continue reading →

The 28th Annual San Jose SaxMas happened

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By Ande Jacobson

The 28th Annual San Jose Saxophone Christmas (or SaxMas to the initiated) took place on 17 December 2022. It was a tad smaller than it had been a few years ago, but it was energetic and festive nonetheless. There’s something special about so many saxophone enthusiasts coming together to make holiday music just for the fun of it.

The players came together in the morning to run through the charts, and then they gave two concerts in the afternoon. The first one was held at San Jose’s Christmas in the Park. The second concert was held at San Jose’s Eastridge Mall. Continue reading →

We need a little SaxMas right now!

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs

By Ande Jacobson

Today was the third Saturday of December in the year 2020, and to paraphrase a lyric from a show I played 14 years ago, we need a little SaxMas right now. This day should have been the 27th annual gathering of sax players of every shape and size playing saxophones of every shape and size in San Jose, California. Although SaxMas founder, Ray Bernd, held out hope for as long as he could, because of the pandemic that didn’t happen, and for the first time in 27 years the event was formally called off in late October. This special event is one that players and audience members look forward to every year because it’s festive, musical, and gleaming with all that holiday saxophone goodness. Over 200 saxophonists playing holiday music together is a sight and sound to behold, and it’s one that’s not soon forgotten. At the end of last year, I wrote a piece reliving 2019’s SJ SaxMas, and I watched the included video of that concert again this morning to put myself in the SaxMas frame of mind even though I had no place to go because of our necessary lockdown. That still wasn’t enough holiday for the day. Continue reading →