Skip Parsons' Riverboat Jazz Band -
Johnathan Steenstra
by Cliff Lamere 12 Sep 2009
Photos by Cliff Lamere
At the Fountain Restaurant, 283 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY.
Johnathan "Johnny Peppers" Steenstra, of Water Gap, New Jersey - bass & soprano saxophone
He is also known as "Pep".
Johnathan Steenstra playing his 1923 Conn, model 14 M, bass saxophone.
It weighs 19-20 lb, so it is usually played while resting on its stand. (2009 Sep 11)
Forrest "Gabe" Gabriels, Johnathan Steenstra, and Rich Skrika (L-R) (2009 Sep 11)
Johnathan Steenstra (2009 Sep 11)
Johnny carries a cooler full of hot peppers of various colors on his trips (see blue & black bag on left).
This is the reason that he got his nickname of "Johnny Peppers". (2009 Sep 11)
Skip Parsons (soprano sax) and Johnathan Steenstra (bass sax) (2009 Sep 11)
Johnny sees the humor in Skip's suggestion that his bass sax is giving birth to a soprano sax. (2009 Sep 11)
Johnathan Steenstra (2009 Sep 11)
Johnny wrote the following:
"This size sax, the bass: twas invented in about 1841 & is Adolph Sax's most famous invention. (he created about 40 differnt instruments) This instrument, was invented and
UNVEILED in Belgium at that period and merely called a saxophone, and then only later was it
referred to as a bass, and then only when other smaller sizes or voices were conjured and thus given names we now
know. By about 1862, perhaps a little sooner, there were the soprano, alto, tenor & baritones completed and were used first in
military bands in France. Then shortly after, according to the Museum in Brussels, more sizes were made, even larger than the
bass (the CONTRA) and smaller than the soprano (the Sopranino).
For a little more history on the saxophone check this little web site.
http://www.angelfire.com/ga/sax99/history.html
"
To contact Johnathan Steenstra:
Email: peppersax@gmail.com
Phone: 908 489 0438
"I play with: Dr. Dubious and the
Agnostics, Chuck Slate, Steven Dibonaventura, Mike Kuehn, and Dave Greer's Classic Jazz Stompers
(from Ohio)."
Johnathan Steenstra can be seen in other photos taken by Cliff Lamere:
Skip Parsons' Riverboat Jazz Band 5
Johnathan in photos not taken by Cliff Lamere:
Johnathan Steenstra (Johnny Peppers) can be heard on YouTube with Stephen DiBonaventura and Michael Kuehn.
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