Charley Krachy, of Garrison, is the owner of Old Dog New Saxophones.
How did you get introduced to the saxophone?
At the end of the school year, high schools have a presentation with the chorus and band. My parents took me to Croton High School to see it when I was 10 or 11. This kid came out with an alto sax. The next morning, I said, “I want to play the saxophone.”
When did you decide to go pro?
It was always a hobby. I got a degree in finance [to pay the bills]. But in 1989, I did my first concert at the Greenwich House Music School. We recorded the performance and put it out, and this guy from The Village Voice wrote a review. A month later, we’re at the Blue Note.
How did you wind up selling instruments made in Taiwan?
A guy had tried one at a trade show in China and posted a positive review. So I bought one. It was a quality horn. I emailed Gu Tai Corp. and said, “How would you like someone in New York to represent your horns?”
Who is your favorite saxophonist?
Lester Young. Bird [Charlie Parker] and Prez [Young], I came up on that. In the 1980s, I got into [Stan] Getz, Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. That’s where I’m at. I’m back there. Lester Young, to me: My God. One note. Just listen to one note.
What do you love about jazz?
What I do is I take a standard tune and put my take on it. If I do my job, at the end of the night, you will walk out of that club feeling happy, a little uplifted and you’ve heard original stuff you’ll never hear again. When you connect like that with the audience, it’s just a good feeling. That’s it. That’s the top.
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