Rudy Wiedoeft

Instrumental wizard Herb Wiedoeft was one of the first musicians to recognize the saxophone’s possibilities as an instrument suitable for use in popular entertainment. Although invented around 1840, it had never really caught on. Owing to his enthusiasm and astonishing technical skill, Wiedoeft must be given credit for popularising the instrument in the early years of the twentieth century. Although he played mostly classical repertoire, he also composed a number of waltzes, presumably out of necessity, and his 1921 recording of "The Sheik Of Araby" remains a landmark.