The former leader of the free world poured beer on Sax Gordon’s shoes. When you’re on the road, playing gigs everywhere from Nantucket to Slovenia, incidents like this are bound to happen. In this case, it was Bill Clinton at a fund-raiser, coming over to talk to the band. Clinton accidentally tipped over a drink sitting at the feet of Gordon Beadle (aka Sax Gordon), but the sax player didn’t flinch. It was all part of touring, that long, smoky stretch highlighted with fascinating people, sold-out festivals, and anecdotes that make for good bar stories.
Beadle, an established indie player who epitomizes American rhythm and blues, makes his living the old-fashioned way: by performing in jazz combos, big bands, clubs, and on the international circuit overseas. In an era of music streaming and digital music making, Beadle is still able to make a decent income — enough to support his family and mortgage — just by playing his trusty tenor sax. Globe correspondent Cindy Atoji Keene spoke with Sax Gordon about how old-school rules can still lead to success in a changing music landscape.
“Like many musicians, I’ve had to pay my dues before making it in this business. I’ve worked all sorts of jobs: convenience store clerk, security guard, and at the Rounders Records warehouse in Cambridge. I was already starting to appear as a sideman on some of their albums, and sometimes I’d be lugging around big boxes of stuff that I actually played on. Those were all in the early years when I was trying to get started.
“But after joining Luther ‘Guitar Junior’ Johnson in the late 1980s, I’ve been able to make music work ever since. Some artists struggle, but the musicians and tour organizers I work with all dig in and figure out a way to be productive.
“In today’s music business, it’s important to have as many related skills as possible: music production, home recording technology, promotion, marketing, graphics. I don’t get so much in royalties anymore because the streaming services have destroyed that revenue stream. It’s really totally criminal, but that’s a different subject.
“I’m a performer, and it’s a bit old-fashioned to rely just on that, but that’s what I do. I easily make the most money when touring internationally. But I don’t want to be away from home all the time, so I do a lot of private functions in the States; social media has been a big help to me and many DIY musicians.
“While I have many CDs with record companies and have worked with many agencies and managers, I remain very independent. Fans, talent buyers, and agents can access my tours and recordings, biography, photos, and other promotional material online. But connections and relationships are invaluable. I feel lucky to be doing what I do. Recently my 15-year-old son came on tour with me and played on the horn section. I don’t know if he’ll do music full-time as I do, but I was proud of him. He sounded and looked great.’’
Cindy Atoji Keene can be reached at cindy.atoji@gmail.com.
