About the editor
Paul Wehage is unique in his foundation in the best of the American school of saxophone (through his work at the University of Texas at Austin with Harvey Pittel, who was a student of the great Joe Allard) and in the classical French tradition through studies at the Paris Conservatory with Daniel Deffayet and Claude Delangle. In addition, his private study with the noted French soprano Renée Mazella gave him the final solid technical base which is so immediately apparent in his debut recording in 1989, Sax-O-Follies which was a collection of 24 encore pieces featuring eight of of Rudy Weidoeft's most successful works.
In locating the music for this first recording, Wehage noted that many of these works were no longer available and began to collect historical saxophone music and documentation. and in addition to verifying the information that was already available in source books and other publications . The emergence of Ali Ben Sou Alle as a major figure in the early history of the saxophone was immediately apparent. The series of works entitled Souvenirs de... allow a glimpse into the repertoire of this first great saxophonist to be able to better gauge the importance of this figure, taken outside of subsequent agendas of later and contemporary figures whose motivations were not geared towards the preservation of this musical heritage. .
To learn more about Paul Wehage and his work as a saxophonist, composer, conductor and editor, please visit paulwehage.com..