Roman Mars

After four hours of performance, the audience cheered for both bands, but the cheers for Adolf Sachs' sax band were louder.

Loud enough for him to be declared the winner of the battle.

That seal of approval was enough for the French military.

Adolf Sachs won that sweet, sweet military contract.

Military life was hard on instruments and they needed to be replaced often.

All this added up to big business for Sax.

Adolf Sachs' collection of over 400 musical instruments was taken from him and sold to pay off his debts.

Antoine Joseph Adolph Sax died of pneumonia in absolute poverty in Paris on February 7th, 1894.

Those statues probably wouldn't be there if it weren't for what happened next and Ocean Away.

In fact, in the early 20th century, the U.S.

experienced what became known as a saxophone craze.

American saxophone manufacturers churned out dozens of novelty instruments.

The saxophone craze lasted from 1915 to around the time the Depression hit.

With less money in people's pockets, there was less demand for wacky saxophones.

The way jazz instrumentalists used the saxophone showcased the flexibility Adolph Sachs had aimed to perfect in his instrument.

While traditional saxophonists used the big, brash tones, some jazz players leaned into the saxophone's ability to be smooth and nuanced, almost mimicking the human voice.

The saxophone's new associations did not come without pushback.

Some, mostly white musicians, felt that the saxophone shouldn't be debased by jazz.

They thought it was a proper instrument for proper people.

In the first half of the 20th century, jazz, and by extension, the saxophone, represented the forbidden.