In the 19th century, Western Europe experienced a gold rush in musical innovation. It was a time of unprecedented opportunity, when your improvement to an ancient instrument—like the trumpet or flute—could make you a small fortune. It was also a time when it was actually possible to invent a new musical instrument, almost from scratch, and have it taken up by bands across the world.
One of the biggest successes from this era was the saxophone: a brand new hybrid brass and woodwind instrument that not only secured a spot in the musical canon but changed American music forever. {listen}