[Dixielandjazz] Turk Murphy band horn-placement

[Dan Augustine]

DJMLers--
     In respect to the placement of the horns in Turk Murphy's band 
(behind the drums), he may have liked and copied the way Lu Watters 
did it.  In _Emperor Norton's Hunch_, John Buchanan says:

         "Unlike Oliver's band, however, the Yerba Buena band made greater
     use of the fortissimo attack."  "...the power they generated was
     overwhelming.  Many experienced jazz enthusiasts were of the opinion
     that Watters played the loudest cornet or trumpet they had ever heard
     and perhaps the loudest of all time." (p. 74)
         "The way in which Lu set the band up on the bandstand was also a
     little unorthodox.  In the front row the banjos were placed on the
     left, drums in the centre and the piano on the right.  In the back
     row, one step higher, from left to right we the trombone, then the
     two trumpets, the clarinet and the tuba to the right behind the piano.
     After trying many arrangements, Watters found that having the trumpets,
     clarinet and trombone standing behind the rhythm section enabled the
     musicians to hear one another better and at the same time allowed
     the audience a good view of each man." (p. 76)

I never had the privilege of seeing either Watters' or Murphy's band 
live, so i can't comment on this arrangement or if Turk kept using it 
in his band.

     Dan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2004 15:25:44 -0500
>From: Stephen Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Trombone Players
>
>  > Mike D wrote:
>>
>>  On the subject of acerbic responses to nuisances in the audience, there is a
>>  (possibly apocryphal) story about the blessed Turk Murphy. Assailed with
>>  repeated requests by a drunk for "Three Little Words", Turk finally snapped
>>  and said "OK - Go **** Yourself!"  but of course NOBODY would have dared to
>>  try wrapping Turk's trombone around his head......
>
>Yes, I think that may be why the Turkster started to play at 
>Earthquake's, in San Francisco, behind the drummer (with the drummer 
>between him and the audience) So that he would avoid getting into 
>physical trouble with unruly audience members. There were more than 
>a few such altercations in his playing days.
>Ah for the days of wild and woolly hot jazz. Mostly gone these days. 
>There were lots of other physical manifestations of temperament with 
>some of the greats.
>I hear tell that some bands, who have seen pictures of Murphy this 
>way, copy the positioning slavishly in the thought that there was 
>some musical reason he did this and so they strive to be "correct'. 
>;-)
>Cheers,
>Steve Barbone

-- 
**--------------------------------------------------------------------**
**  Dan Augustine    Austin, Texas   ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu     **
**       "Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through          **
**        the leather straps." -- Emo Phillips 
** 
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