Saw Notes
A Resource for Musical Saw Enthusiasts
Musicians & Makers
The musical saw is a great instrument for hymns. The saw has always been a popular instrument in churches because they are inexpensive and can be carried from place to place. Many an itinerant preacher traveled with a saw. Church music is part of the history of the musical saw. […]
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Tim Martin is one of the best saw players in the US and the world. He lives in Ormond Beach, Florida. Ten years ago he saw a friend playing the saw with a screwdriver and the rest is history. He taught himself to play by watching YouTube videos, and last […]
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The Asylum Street Spankers were a great band from Austin who played a lot of Tin Pan Alley types of songs. They have disbanded, but you can still buy their recordings and see their videos on YouTube. They have a great old-timey sound. The band was founded by Christina Mars […]
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Last month, San Francisco lost Jackie Jones, saw player and long-time resident of the city. She was 93 years old. She played at the Alemany Farmer’s Market for many years. Jackie was a talented woman who played many instruments besides the saw, including the accordion and the guitar. She lived […]
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Last year we featured an interview with Julian Koster of Neutral Milk Hotel in a Christmas blog post. Well this year, we are featuring Mr. Koster playing “Frosty the Snowman” from his album entitled The Singing Saw At Christmastime. The album is a marvelous collection of twelve classic Christmas songs […]
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Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies were published in the late 1880s. I’ve always loved Satie’s compositions, and I’ve always wondered what a “gymnopedie” was. Supposedly, the term refers to young men in ancient Sparta who participated in a celebration of athletics and martial arts. These compositions don’t remind me of anything that […]
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