The Keilwerth Shadow has a new action, which is 'ergonomically' optimized and although not hugely different, it is still an improvement on the current SX90R. Compared with a standard SX90R, I found the RH finger spacing was slightly closer together & the key-work very light and responsive, involving no effort to bounce around the sax. The Shadow Alto Sax has noticeably cupped pearls, and although this felt a little strange at first, it held the tips of my fingers nicely. Overall the action was very fluid and an improvement on the current SX90R model, without losing that Keilwerth feel.

One of the best features of this sax is the tone. Like all Keilwerth saxophones, there is an individuality that is very appealing. The tone is big, fat and full so I could get loads of power with the sax producing wave upon wave of tone color. Also interestingly, when I experimented with different mouthpieces, there was still a sense of boldness and weight behind the tone. The name Shadow very much relates to the sound, which is hard to place but always in the background. Although I’m a bit of jazzer and I found myself whizzing around Bebop riffs, this sax would suit most styles of music.

If you want to standout and raise some eyebrows, the Alto Shadow has a refreshing and distinctive look, and although I’m a bit of a traditionalist, I like it. The contrast between the black nickel plating and the sliver-plated keys, gives the sax an ethereal look. The engraving on the Shadow is just exquisite and covers most of the saxophone body, bow & bell. As a package, it comes with a quality individual case and good ebonite jazz mouthpiece (No. 7).

To conclude, I was previously a bit skeptical about Keilwerth saxes, but now I’m a convert. I’m sure the Shadow, like many others released this year, will go down in history as a classic saxophone. Surely many of the great saxes will now live in the shadow of this sax (pardon the pun!). However, the most frustrating part is getting hold of these saxes. Like Selmer and the Reference Alto, Keilwerth has created a huge demand but has not met this with a regular supply. So sorry folks, this sax won't be easily available for a while but like all good things... TC

Keilwerth Shadow Alto Saxophone Review used by Permission, from Sax.co.uk.

Sax.co.uk is now established as one of the worlds leading suppliers of saxophones and accessories. Based in East Sussex, England, we provide an international mail-order service and at the same time we welcome players into our store to come and test our saxophones and mouthpieces. Our range is always expanding, and currently we have over 200 saxophones on display, stocking all the major brands including Selmer, Yanagisawa, Yamaha and Keilwerth, along with Rampone and Cazzani, Trevor James, and many others.

Thanks to Sax.co.uk and to Jim Cheek for sharing this Tenor Sax Review with the Sax Reviews readers, worldwide!