DV HR Alto

AUGUST 2023

JodyJazz DV HR Alto AUGUST 2023 Review DownBeat Magazine

DownBeat Magazine

"Harmonious Invention, Embedded Bite Plate, Ease of Play & Beautiful Expression"

Hand-Hammered Tenor

JANUARY 2022

HH Tenor_DownBeat Jan 2023 - Review

DownBeat Magazine

"A 'Striking' Origin story...JodyJazz's Hand-Hammered HH Tenor Sax Mpc."

Hand-Hammered Tenor

DECEMBER 2022

Music Inc Magazine

"Reinventing The Mouthpiece...How JodyJazz's recruitment of a cymbal craftsman has given its latest mpc a tonal twist."

Hand-Hammered Tenor

FALL 2022

Dingo Australian Jazz Journal - Hand-Hammered Tenor – FALL 2022

Dingo Australian Jazz Journal

"...played much louder with great resonance.....consistent tone color at all volumes....stayed dark and rich from subtone to full volume."

JodyJazz: The Joy of Jazz

SPRING 2022

Jody Feature St Josephs Candler Smart Living

Smart Living

"Musician and small business owner Jody Espina helps passionate sax players sound their best."

HR* CUSTOM DARK Alto

SPRING 2021

Dingo Australian Jazz Journal

"...supercharges the HR* by adding in low and mid frequencies that build the core of your tone without sacrificing projection."

HR* CUSTOM DARK Alto & Soprano

JUNE 2021

Downbeat June 2021

DownBeat Magazine

"warm-sounding, easy-blowing, expertly hand-finished"

HR* CUSTOM DARK Series

2021

Bestsaxophonewebsiteever Review

Bestsaxophonewebsiteever.com

"rich, warm sound with complex harmonics"

HR* CUSTOM DARK Alto

SEPT 2020

Jazzwise September

Jazzwise Magazine

"incredibly free blowing and a real joy to play"

SUPER JET Tenor

MAY 2018

DownBeat Magazine

"impressed by the immense power and flexibility"

POWER RING Wins Top Ranking!

SPRING 2020

Clarinet & Saxophone Magazine 1.2020

Clarinet & Saxophone Magazine

"The POWER RINGs are a work of genius"

HR* CUSTOM DARK Tenor

MARCH 2020

JodyJazz HR* CUSTOM DARK Headwind Music UK Review

Headwind Music UK

"the most free-blowing and responsive mouthpiece out there."

SUPER JET Sop & Bari

MAY 2019

JodyJazz Downbeat Review

DownBeat Magazine

"The mouthpiece gave me access to a huge dynamic range and provided me with power and projection to spare."

JODY ESPINA FROM THE TOP

AUGUST 2018

Music Inc Jody Espina

Music Inc Magazine

"We have built a good reputation, even amongst classical people who know us and expect good mouthpieces."

SUPER JET Tenor

JULY 2018

Jazzwise Magazine

"Beautifully made and finished, this mouthpiece is about as free blowing as it gets."

SUPER JET Alto

AUGUST 2017

Jazzwise August 2017 Cover and Review

Jazzwise Magazine

"free blowing as it is, it allows the player to dig deep into the lower register with complete confidence."

POWER RINGS

JULY 2017

Jazzwise Review of POWER RING Ligature

Jazzwise Magazine

"If you want power, it's all there for the taking, from a scorching altissimo to a full and beefy lower end."

HR* CUSTOM DARK Tenor

MAY 2020

HR* CUSTOM DARK

Jazzwise Magazine

"hugely impressed by its tonal character and general playability"

SUPER JET Alto

MAY 2017

Image of Downbeat May 2017 Cover and SUPER JET review

DownBeat Magazine

"The higher notes and altissimo range were incredibly responsive and impressively powerful."

JodyJazz Profile

DECEMBER 2016

Image of JodyJazz Music Trades Article

Music Trade Magazine

"From day one we have gauged and play-­tested each mouthpiece we make which separated us from many of our competitors."

JET Baritone

AUGUST 2016

Jazzwise Magazine

"The JET Baritone is very free blowing, has spot on intonation and wows us with the ease with which you're able to manipulate the sound."

JET Baritone

MAY 2016

DownBeat Magazine

"This flexibility is what will make the JET an attractive piece for working bari players who are called upon to play different roles in various types of ensembles."

Interview with Jody Espina

The Vault at Music & Arts

The Vault at Music & Arts

"JodyJazz mouthpieces are known for innovation and state-of-the-art design."

DV Series

Mouthpiece Evaluation

JazzImprov Magazine

"Jody Espina has created a revolutionary new mouthpiece design with the DV."

Jody Espina Profile

2015

Saxophone Today

"Jody Espina, the Founder, President and Designer of one the world’s best mouthpieces for saxophones and clarinets, is himself a monster musician of
the highest order."

JodyJazz Instructional Media

Hands on Review

Woodwind Brasswind

"JodyJazz instructional materials capture world-class musicians at their finest, and provide an expertly produced lesson format that is comprehensive yet casual, and an inspiration for your improvising and soloing."

JET Tenor

JUNE 2015

DownBeat Magazine

"This piece can really scream, and I was pleasantly surprised at its ability to maintain a big, full sound when I backed way off and played softly."

GIANT Tenor

SEPT 2014

Jazzwise Magazine

"Good sub tones, offers plenty of control and that small amount of resistance is just perfect for easy articulation."

GIANT Tenor

MAY 2014

DownBeat Magazine

"The range of sounds the Giant can produce is remarkable.....The response and tone were even in all registers, and articulation was nice and clean. And that's not all: The altissimo range absolutely killed....it plays like crazy. Whether you prefer hard-rubber or metal, check out the Giant - there really is nothing else quite like it out there."
"When DownBeat contacted me to review the new Giant for tenor saxophone from JodyJazz, I asked what makes it different from the rest of the company’s premium mouthpieces. I learned that it was made out of aluminum, which produces a darker tone than brass or steel. I was also informed that it was capable of producing a sound with characteristics of both metal and hard-rubber mouthpieces."

DV Alto

JULY 2013

Jazzwise Magazine

"You can't help but admire Jody Espina of Jody Jazz; his total commitment to developing and refining the design of the metal mouthpiece to achieve the ultimate in sound quality and projection borders on the fanatical..."

JodyJazz Profile

SEPT 2012

Music Trade Magazine

"With their precise machine-work and skilled hand-finishing, the DV mouthpieces make a prime example of why JodyJazz has invested in both machinery and personnel."

April Issue

2012

JazzTimes Magazine

"... the DV CHI has the most effortless playability of any mouthpiece I've ever encountered ... the sound is earthy and full with a nice balance of edge and depth."

March Issue

2012

DownBeat Magazine

"Here’s a novel concept: jazz play-along CDs that are designed not only for developing advanced improvisational skills, but for learning the art of trading solos as well. And not just with anyone, but seasoned pros George Garzone and Kenny Werner..."

January Issue

2012

DownBeat Magazine

"They’re the youngest group in history to play the Chicago Jazz Festival. They’ve rubbed elbows with Orbert Davis and Ron Carter and have their sights set on playing the White House. And after receiving an endorsement deal with JodyJazz, the Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School jazz ensemble is sounding better than ever."

June Issue

2010

DownBeat Magazine

"DV CHI produces a robust well-rounded sound... broader tonal spectrum...effortless response."

JazzTimes Magazine

"... the DV CHI has the most effortless playability of any mouthpiece I've ever encountered ... the sound is earthy and full with a nice balance of edge and depth."

March/April Issue

2010

Music Inc Magazine

"To Jody Espina, president and founder of JodyJazz, mouthpieces are like car engines. “Musicians often don’t know all there is to know about their mouthpieces, the same way people might not understand
something as important as their car engines,” Espina said. “I don’t know much about my car engine, but I still have to drive...”

Vol. 12

2009

Sax & Brass Magazine

February Issue

2009

JazzTimes Magazine

"Virtuoso mouthpiece craftsman Jody Espina expands into the instructional DVD market with The Music of George Garzone & the Triadic Chromatic Approach, a comprehensive presentation of the ideas behind the music of Berklee and New England Conservatory instructor George Garzone..."

January Issue

2009

DownBeat Magazine

"George Garzone has developed an improvising concept called the triadic chromatic approach. The saxophonist uses the four groups of triads—major, minor, augmented and diminished—and has
figured out how to improvise on them with random inversion, with a half-step coupling between each triad. “This is a way of playing that helps you break away from your normal repetitions,” Garzone said..."

June Issue

2008

JazzTimes Magazine

"In general, my saxophone mouthpieces are like airport security: metal is usually not encouraged. It’s not that I dislike the sound of metal. In fact, I do like it, especially in contemporary settings. It’s just that
metal mouthpieces come at a cost—more on that later. Yet if anyone is capable of changing my view, it’s Jody Espina (a.k.a. JodyJazz). I have had the pleasure of playing and reviewing a number of JodyJazz
mouthpieces, including the inaugural offering from the DV and DVNY lines (both tenor mouthpieces). So reviewing two “siblings” (a DVNY alto mouthpiece and a DV baritone model) was not so much about testing the abilities of the design, but rather transposing the idea to other saxophones..."

May Issue

2008

DownBeat Magazine

"JodyJazz continues to produce new models of gold-plated brass mouthpieces that give serious saxophone players further options for great sound and response. The JodyJazz DV NY alto #5 and DV baritone #8, released early this year, bring metal professional sax mouthpieces to new levels of efficiency and tonal flexibility."

May Issue

2007

Music Trade Magazine

June Issue

2007

DownBeat Magazine

"Neumann has introduced its KMS 104 hand-held wired microphone for live performance applications, a follow-up to the company’s KMS 105 model. Designed for optimal transmission of the
human voice on loud stages, the KMS 104 improves on the KMS 105 with the added feature of a cardioid polar pattern. Neumann’s entire KMS series offers higher acoustic transparency than most
other handhelds, allowing a wider frequency range with better resolution of audio transients..."

Spring Issue

2007

JazzImprov Magazine

March Issue

2007

JazzTimes Magazine

"Lets face it; a mouthpiece maker has a finite amount of time in the spotlight—just think of names like Dukoff, Guardala, Sugal, Barone, Gregory, etc. Jody Espina, on the other hand, has enjoyed an uncommonly long day in the sun for a mouthpiece manufacturer."

February Issue

2006

DownBeat Magazine

"Two new sets of precision crafted mouthpieces from JodyJazz give saxophonists the airflow and the versatility that they need to cover a wide range of tones and styles..."

" … produced a warm, dark tone and blew freely and evenly across the traditional range of the horn. … Extremely responsive, the HR* lets you tongue fast and accurately through uptempo passages without choking up in the throat. "

"... the most inspiring were the DV alto mouthpieces. Bright, full of harmonics and brassy without being shrill, the DV altos projected effortlessly in all ranges, with an especially wailing altissimo. It was easy to play quiet and low with a fat, full sound. Intonation was spot-on."

Spring Issue

2006

JazzImprov Magazine

...responsive, ...rich darkness and warmth,...plays well in all of the registers, and has a sweetness that compliments the naturally bright frequencies of the soprano.

Winter Issue

2005

JazzImprov Magazine

September Issue

2004

DownBeat Magazine

"JodyJazz mouthpieces clearly reflect attention to detail and finish with superb craftsmanship throughout. All the critical elements are present—accurate intonation, flexibility, centered sound, comfort, appearance and versatility. The brain behind JodyJazz Mouthpieces is Jody Espina, a working musician in the New York City area who creates rubber and metal mouthpieces for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. With years of research and testing behind him, his goal is for each piece to play like it was custom-tweaked for the individual player’s needs..."

January Issue

2004

JazzTimes Magazine

"I have to admit that I have an addition. No, not to drugs or alcohol. I have an addiction to saxophone mouthpieces. Be they stock, custom, silver, gold, hard rubber, vintage, new-you name the mouthpiece, I have either owned it or tried it. But I know I'm not alone. If you're reading this, chances are you have the addiction too..."