“Hey Steve...your adjustments to my
Powell and piccolo made a BIG difference for my concert
on Monday...thanks SO much! With thanks again...”
— David Latulippe, KALW
Radio, Announcer / Producer
“Steve first worked on my flute about 3 years ago.
He replaced my flute’s original pads with Straubinger™
Pads. Steve is exceptionally thorough in his repair work.
As much as I hate having to leave my flute for repairs,
I always look forward to picking up my flute from him, knowing
the instrument will be in such great playing condition.
Steve also sells an outstanding collection of hard-to-find
sheet music. I always find a book or two when I’m
there to add to my music book collection.”
— Sarah Wasley-Smith,
Wasley-Smith Design, www.wsdesign.com,
925-963-3048
“My Selmer Mark VI tenor was unplayable. Another
technician worked on it and, well, he had messed it up.
I brought its poor broken body to Steve Deutsch, who did
his magic. Now, it plays the way a great horn is supposed
to play: silky, fast, easy, fat and sweet. It glows, it
kills. As far as I’m concerned this horn will not
be touched by any technician but Steve Deutsch.
— Max
“I would like to take the time to sing the praises
of my long time friend, excellent musician and master woodwind
and flute repairman... Mr. Steve Deutsch. He recently overhauled
my vintage Selmer Paris tenor saxophone, adjusted my vintage King
Super 20 Silver Sonic alto saxophone and adjusted my Selmer
"knock off" baritone saxophone and all the aforementioned
horns are playing beautifully and effortlessly.I highly
recommend Steve and his masterful work.”
— Marty Deradoorian, saxophonist with the 2008 Sammie Award winning Sacramento Blues Revue
“I hope none of you ever pick up your saxophone and see water spill out of the tone-holes, never have to see springs rust before your eyes, and never have to watch helplessly as the oils leech from the wood of your clarinet and the wood starts to turn white.
Such was the scene when the house’s sump-pump broke, filling the basement and my instruments to the brim with water. The horns had been submerged for several days by the time I discovered the accident. It was a Sunday morning, the hour was against me, all repair-shops were closed, and I had only half an hour before boarding a plane to England for a week, leaving my beloved instruments to rust, rot, and die a slow, miserable death.
Frantically, I called every single repair-shop in the area
with no answer.
Then I made one final, desperate call to a repairman I had
never heard of
before. Steve Deutsch answered, heard my plight, and agreed
to take the
horns immediately and see what he could do.
To my delight, surprise, and supreme relief, Steve saved all three instruments. Not only did he resurrect the dead, he renewed them to a state far superior to their condition before the accident. Thanks to Steve and all his phenomenal work, my horns continue to live and breathe and my complete loss is now my profound gain.”
— Alex Scammon
“Steve,
Thank you once again for saving the day. The work you did on my Tenor was great! You took the slop out of the keys in question and adjusted it perfectly. You always seem to find the time in an emergency. Thanks again”
— Skip Mesquite
(original member of Tower of Power, Cold Blood, Lenny Williams, Deniece Williams, Merle Saunders)
“I’ve used a few different repair shops over the years, but Steve is definitely best. He has that rare combination of expertise, artistry, and an eye for detail. I give significant weight to the fact that Steve can actually play a saxophone, and that makes a world of difference in someone who is repairing and adjusting a piece of equipment that I need to use night after night. I own a late model Selmer Paris SA-80 Series
III tenor sax that I had almost given up for junk because it had been DROPPED (albeit in its case), bending the main body. Steve straightened the horn and repaired a huge dent in the neck, and now the horn plays perfectly. Note that he completed this work in less than two weeks for an incredibly reasonable price. I then had Steve look at my other (newer) SA-80 Series III tenor for some minor dent repair. He found that almost all of the keys were leaking and offered to "trim-up" the horn while fixing the dent. That’s the kind of care that you can expect from Steve, and that’s why I’ll always trust him with all of my horns. Steve is a godsend.”
— Jody P. Ono, tenor sax, alto sax, EWI, Davis, CA
“If you’re ever in the Bay area or Live in and about "Steve Deutsch" is your man for Repairs, as you know the Vintage Selmer Horns Need a lot of Wind to keep them going, Especially in that Lower Register. I was Having Problems getting my MKVII to respond in the Lower Register until Steve got ahold of it and Brought it back to Life, Voila no more Problems Deep Bass Bb sounds like a Fog Horn now and it comes in with minimum resistence, Not to mention the entire horn sounds real Strong and in Tune, Top To Bottom. Thanks Steve.”
— Jim, San Francisco
Saxophone Player beats the odds.
Antioch resident finds therapy in music after surviving
seven strokes.
By Marta Yamamoto
Contra Costa Times September 11, 2009
Music fills the air on Wednesday morning at the Antioch Senior Center, and many of the 200-plus listeners just can’t keep still.
The pied piper, playing the tenor saxophone, is 85 year
old Dick Coleman, accompanied by bass, drums and vocalist.
In the audience you might spot a 17-gal line dance snaking
through the hall or, from the table known as the “Fan
Club”, a woman compelled to run up and give Coleman
a kiss on the cheek.
It’s hard to imagine Coleman as the survivor of seven strokes
who, at one time, spent his day in his chair staring at
cabinet doors. “He stands up there for a couple of hours
and plays all these tunes out of his head,” said Barbara
Coleman, Dick’s wife of 43 years. “It’s amazing. People
see what he does and the way he plays, and they forget that
he had seven strokes.”
Steve Deutsch, owner of Steve Deutsch Woodwinds in Berkeley, met Dick Coleman when he repaired his saxophone. After he played nonstop for almost an hour Deutsch was amazed to hear his medical history.
“He played great, and there was no hesitation between his fingers and his brain,” Deutsch said. “ His jazz covers the spectrum through everything from old things like “Robbins Nest” and hits from the 30’s and 40’s to “Harlem Nocturn”.
Deutsch also recognized a broader story, one of love, for the music itself and between two individuals, Dick and Barbara Coleman.
Just one hour spent in their company reveals their powers of recovery, strength and commitment. While Dick related stories from his past, laughing and getting emotional at the memories, Barbara filled in with anecdotes of her own.
Music has played a role throughout the Antioch resident’s life and is ingrained upon his outlook. “Music had a healing affect on everyone, and its effect on me is based on two things,” he said. “The essence of music is communication, and the other element is a sense of presence; it fulfills this profound need to express.”
Coleman found expression early in life. At age 9, he started practicing in his backyard with an alto sax, then went on to major in music at Berkeley High and formed his first group there.
He was befriended by Chuck Forrest, owner of Forrest’s Music Store, who gifted him with a gold-plated alto sax. “From that point, I go a lot of gigs and jobs around the area,” Coleman said.
One gig at the Brown Derby in Richmond with close Julius Jacket almost got him in trouble-twice. Entering the all-black club, Jacket had to reassure the owner about Coleman, saying, “ It’s OK man, he’s a musician.”
Upon leaving and being stopped by a policeman who wanted to know what Coleman was doing in that area, Jacket gave the same answer, “It’s OK man, he’s a musician,“ and it has been, all Coleman’s life.
To appreciate how far Coleman has come, one need only picture him after his strokes.
“Dick was in a wheelchair, and people thought it was permanent,” Barbara said. “Dick had no music at first. When he started coming out of the strokes, he just decided he’d play again and then everything was coming back.”
Because Dick no longer reads music, it’s up to Barbara to sing the melodies that trigger his music memories. She’s also his driver and organizer, and is recognized as his guiding force.
The two met working at Sears, and story of their first date seems a precursor of their life together. “Barbara invited me to dinner, and I had the audacity to take my alto sax with me. Not only did Barbara know the tunes I was playing; she knew the lyrics,” Coleman said.
Barbara was equally impressed. “Women have been serenaded with guitars and singing. How many girls get serenaded by an alto sax?” she said.
Back at the Antioch Senior Center, Coleman is communicating with his music, and the message is being heard loud and clear. He’s rewarded with a hug, a handshake and a thank you for bringing back one gentleman’s youth. Another man hopes Dick will live forever because “I can’t think of coming here and not hearing you play.”
Music and Coleman are linked. “When music is applied intelligently, it creates freedom,” he said. “I did and got the freedom to get out of my wheelchair.”
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