National Saxophone Museum

01/30/2025

Never seen one of these before. Conn used to make some of the coolest promotional accessories… late 1930’s-50’s CG Conn tie clip!

03/26/2024

Rare sighting of Colonel CG Conn on the roof top of his second factory with a fellow employee. This photo was taken Oct 21, 1907 and comes from a photo post card sent to his daughter, Sallie Conn, the day after the photo was taken.

08/24/2022

A big congratulations to founding board member Victor Goines. We’re so happy to have you here in St. Louis!! We cant wait to share with you our artist community here in St. Louis!!

We are pleased to announce the appointment of distinguished musician, composer, and educator, Victor Goines as our new President & Chief Executive Officer. A renowned jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, Goines has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Septet since 1993 and was recommended for this position by Marsalis.

A son of New Orleans, Goines’ lengthy and impressive music career includes more than 200 original works to his credit as composer. He's also performed with some of the top names in music including, among others, Terence Blanchard, Bob Dylan, Dizzy Gillespie, Dianne Reeves, Branford Marsalis, Diana Ross, Wayne Shorter, Chucho Valdez, and Stevie Wonder.

Victor has also experienced every phase of this organization’s past, from the Hotel Majestic through the renovation of the Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz. “St. Louis’ connection to jazz runs deep and I look forward to working with the musicians and institutions of St. Louis to promote that fact to national audiences.”

Goines will assume his new role as President and CEO as of Sept 19. The St. Louis community's first opportunity to meet and mingle with him will be Jazz St. Louis' annual fundraiser, Homecoming, on Oct 14. Join us in welcoming Victor Goines to St. Louis!

Learn more about Victor at https://bit.ly/3PEYgcd

Photo by Sarah Escarraz

08/20/2022

For the most optimistic of gigging musicians… here we have a vintage a CG Conn gold plated money clip. 🤑💵

04/01/2022

Interested in buying your own artist's special Bb soprano with a lovely chicken-elephant engraving in 1917? It would have set you back $150 - a little over $3,000 in today's dollars.

03/29/2022

When it comes to saxophone engravings, some motifs are quite common. Attractive women, floral embellishments, and large logos dominate. This Conn curved soprano is completely engraved gold plate with pearl touches, with a lot of love and thought given by the artist. Their choice of engraving? Chicken with an elephant head.

02/21/2022

Check out Paul Cohen, one of the top saxophone historians, talking everything vintage saxophone.

Paul Cohen is one of America’s most sought-after saxophonists for orchestral and chamber concerts and solo recitals. Dr. Paul Cohen has rediscovered and performed lost saxophone literature, …

02/18/2022

This Buescher 400 alto has a rather unique skyline engraving that is completely unlike the standard engravings on the line.

Music by Michael Neu

02/16/2022

This horn, 296159, is a very early example of the 400 Buescher Top Hat & Cane saxophone from the first production year of the instrument - 1941. Because it so closely follows the patents filed for this saxophone in general (approved 1940) and the key pivot action (approved 1941), the instrument closely resembles the patents. The key difference between the patents by Floyd E. Comer and this particular saxophone? The proposed redesigned Eb trill key was not added on the instrument, and you can see the difference with the key on the inside of the bow missing. It's common for manufacturers to continue to make changes as the instrument is produced, leading to more and more deviations from any patents filed, so this horn is remarkable in how closely it resembles the patents.

02/11/2022

This excerpt comes from the 1921 Buescher Story of the Saxophone. Epitomizing the roaring twenties, it captures the imagination with the promise of swinging jazz clubs and national excitement over this still new instrument.