[Dixielandjazz] Re: Tommy Loy and axes

[Don Ingle]

Will:
Yeah, horns and other war stories.
I started on a Conn Victor Cornet at 11 after giving up any notion of
mastering a clarinet, then when playing with big bands, I bought a Conn 22-B
trumpet, played it for a few years then got a Keith-modified Selmer. When at
Jazz Ltd.. Getzen came in and asked to use my pretty photo on their PR
stuff, for which I would receive a new trumpet or cornet of my choice each
year. In all I had three Severinsen model trumpets and one Getzen cornet
which eventually was acquired by Tom Pletcher and then by Davie Jelema. I
still have one trumpet, donated two of the others to students in our small
town band program. I have a Master 20 silver sonic cornet by King which
played well for me, but I went back to a Conn Victor Cornet about 12 years
ago. I love it now and I loved it as a youngster. It has this gosh-awlful
large bore, .484, and filling it with air is like blowing into the Holland
Tunnel. Since I only played four gigs this year, that tunnel keeps getting
longer. But it is a forgiving horn and takes what I give it and treats it
well.
I also double valve bone, and have a Conn built on a 6-B frame with old 22-B
valves.
But then this horn stuff could be worse -- there's always the example of
Bobby Hackett who seemd to try and acquire a different horn a month. But
what he did with any of them still warms my heart -- bless his departed
soul.
Since work in North Michigan is such a rarity, I have sent for plans for
making decorator lamps out of old musical instruments. My wife wants to find
a plan for making something decorative out of an old cornet player. Oh,
well -- the Lions won (finally) one today, and grouse season opens in a
week. There is a God!
Don Ingle
----- Original Message -----
From: "willc" <willc at nova.edu>
To: "Don Ingle" <dingle at baldwin-net.com>
Cc: "Bill Gunter" <jazzboard at hotmail.com>; <acjspres at aol.com>;
<dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 4:57 PM
Subject: Tommy Loy and axes


> Three or four years ago Tommy and I chatted a lot on the net and this
> led to our swapping my Bach Strad flugel for a Bach Strad cornet he had.
> I hated that goddam Bach almost more than I hated a
> solid silver King I once owned and eventually gave to a classical player
> who loved it. My first ever horn at 8 or 9 was a Conn, followed by a
> (argh-h-h!) Pan American followed by a Conn Cuprion that I swapped for
> an Olds Recording model that I played for 20 years (and had rebuilt
> several times at the Olds factory in nearby Fullerton). Then I got an
> Olds student model Ambassador cornet, and I've never liked a horn
> better. Given the caliber (.22) of my playing these days, with arthritic
> fingers (and maybe lips), it's perhaps an appropriate horn.
> Kindly,
> Will Connelly
> River Liffey Saloon Jazz Band
> Fort Lauderdale, Florida
>