Memoirs of a Mean Sax by Jean Fineberg

Name: Memoirs of a Mean Sax by Jean Fineberg
SKU: 140337
Availability: InStock

Original price was: $17.99.Current price is: $15.99.

Jean has hit a brilliant, clear high note with this volume. Again, and again I connected with the truth behind the lines, so beautifully expressed. Whether it is wandering around Manhattan in the snow hauling her saxophone, the joy of playing her drums, or the social inequality she found while playing on cruise ships, Jean Fineberg nails it. I sat down and read this in one shot, and I was moved as a fellow musician and author, as well as a passionate reader. Beautiful work.

—Suzanne Falter, author of Free Spirited

In Memoirs of a Mean Sax, Jean Fineberg reveals an inspiring and entertaining glance into the intimate kinship between poetry and music. As a gifted, driven dreamer, she imparts how nerve, confidence, and humor can play a major role in the pursuit of any dream. The poetry is bold and inviting from a woman in a male-dominated profession who dared to keep “tooting her own horn.”

—Irene Young, author of Something About The Women

In her second poetry chapbook, Memoirs of a Mean Sax, Jean Fineberg ushers us into the sometimes hilarious, sometimes maddening life of a female saxophonist in the world of professional music. From stories of falling off the stage to pertinent cultural references, the author weaves her keen humor into expertly crafted sonnets, duplex, and Fibonacci poems.

—Jeremy Steinkoler, author of Finding The Groove

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Memoirs of a Mean Sax

by Jean Fineberg

Paper

$15.99 List: ~~$17.99~~

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This title will be released on August 22, 2025

Memoirs of a Mean Sax draws you into the author’s experiences from her decades as a touring and recording jazz musician. Her humor and pathos recount lessons learned as a female saxophone player in the competitive male-dominated New York music scene. An opening Fibonacci poem explores the subliminal composition process, followed by a hilarious comparison of her composer brain to a laundromat, and an exploration of the deep-seated insecurities which affect all artists. Jean offers a compelling metaphoric poem comparing her drums to her adopted daughter, and concludes with sardonic, yet serious, advice for those planning to make their fortunes playing music. #poetry #music #sax #saxophone #women #jazz

Jean Fineberg is an award-winning saxophonist and composer who has studied writing with celebrated poet Kim Addonizio. Her poet father left a new poem on the table every morning, inspiring her to write first “book” at age eight. She has written lyrics for rock and pop albums, and won a motor scooter for her winning poem in a college limerick contest. Her first chapbook, A Mobius Path, was published in 2022.

Memoirs of a Mean Sax reflects the vagaries and hilarities of life as a working female saxophonist, from local gigs to major tours and recordings with artists such as Luther Vandross, Chic, Laura Nyro and David Bowie. Jean’s least favorite audience comment is “you play like a man,” and her favorite is “you play a mean sax.”