A veteran of big bands led by Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and Jimmy Dorsey, Bob Dukoff has made his greatest contribution to jazz as designer and manufacturer of the world's leading saxophone mouthpieces. Designed in 1943 and first marketed two years later, the mouthpiece has provided saxophone players with greater facility to play their instruments. A native of Sioux City, IA, Dukoff found his earliest inspiration in his mother's piano playing. When his first saxophone came with two different mouthpieces, he became aware that not all mouthpieces were similar. Experimenting in the back room of a California music store, he developed his unique mouthpiece. Relocating in 1956 to Kendall, FL, a suburb of Miami, Dukoff opened his own recording studio, Dukoff Recording. He continued to run the studio until the early '70s. As a musician, Dukoff reached his peak with the album, Sax in Silk, in 1954. Showcasing his lush approach to tenor jazz, the album became a Top Ten hit. ~ Craig Harris