Fear and Lathe-ing in Las Vegas!

Yes, I'm back on the lathe! It's been a couple of years since I've done any turning and I'm happy to be back in action. Getting a lathe was a necessary part of learning to make neys in the Turkish tradition, the tradition that set me on fire with this instrument.

The Turkish tradition adds a separate mouthpiece called 'baspare' to the flute that is turned from water buffalo horn or wood, sometimes bone and, in the good lo' days, ivory. It's purpose is to add a more durable blowing edge and also create an 'inner scoop' that allows for greater tonal range and control of the registers.

At first I thought that neys that did not have a baspare were inferior, but soon discovered that was not the case. They simply offer a different tone and behave differently. In fact, I'm known for my 'low end' playing and have for years now played on neys without them.

My endless obsession with the craft not only brought me back to the baspare from a crafting standpoint, but also reintroduced me to the utterly unique qualities that are offered from it. It remains, for me, one of the most beautiful characteristics of the Turkish style of playing and makes the Sufi music of Turkey stand out in a class of its own.

After decades of learning to make neys in the traditional manner, I've been focusing a lot on synthetic neys recently and LOVE them. I've discovered how subtle design changes get a better, stronger, louder tone. Really it was a matter of reverse engineering the math and applying the concept to new materials.

As I return to making baspares I'm enjoying working with incredible new materials that are yielding fantastic results. Certain plastics are so well suited for the job that I think of them as the natural materials of my era. After all, what would Neo play between bouts with Agent Smith?

The result is that my craft is kicking' up a notch, my traditional neys are getting better and the new synthetic design is gaining in popularity. I'm even making a new set of neys that have interchangeable mouthpieces and bodies so I can literally switch from any desired style to any size / key ney in seconds. Plus, they break down into small, compact and easy to carry sets that allow me to carry a full arsenal of neys with a great new ease.

This is a new venture and I'm still perfecting the process, but I am thrilled with the first wave of new stuff. I will soon be sharing a whole new series of neys (including Persian designs) and music that showcases these new materials and designs.

Oh, yeah…I'm also working on a 'glass bore' that will have these things screamin' off the charts. :) I haven't been this excited in a looooooooooong time! I'll definitely keep you posted!

I hope all is well…



Peace,
J


PS - Kudos to my dear friend, David Macejka, for giving me the idea for the title 'Fear and Lathe-ing in Las Vegas'; he's not only one of the 'hands-down' best percussionists I know, but one of the funniest people I've ever met! Check him out: he rocks with a blend of taste, style and chops that I've never before encountered:

David Macejka