[Dixielandjazz] Turk Murphy band horn-placement

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Dan,
>
> I have heard stories about the placement of musicians in the Watters band.
> In fact, we have a guy here in Sacramento who puts his band pretty much in
> the configuration which you described below, with the horns in back,
blowing
> right over the top of the rhythm section.  .
>
> However, when I worked for Turk Murphy & Pete Clute, playing intermissions
@
> Earthquake Magoons in SF, in the early 70's, Turk placed the piano, tuba &
> banjo in the back row & the horns in front.
>
> When I first went to work there in 1970, Smokey Stover was playing drums &
> there was no banjo.  In that configuration, the piano was in the rear
> middle.  Drums right rear & tuba left rear.  Horns in front.  This is as
you
> are looking at the stage from the audience POV.
>
> The piano was turned at a 90 deg angle to the audience so that Pete's
right
> side was facing the audience & he was looking at the drummer over the
piano.
> I liked that arrangement because the drummer was right there by the sound
> board of the piano.  The tuba was right behind Pete's back.  With the
front
> off of the piano, the tuba player could also hear the piano.  Pete played
> pretty strong.  Thus, the rhythm section could hear each other well &
really
> play together.
>
> Bob
> mr.wonderful at ringwald.com
> Placerville, CA, USA, Earth, Sol's System, Milky Way
> Amateur (ham) Radio Station K6YBV
> Fulton Street Jazz Band
> See: http://www.ringwald.com
> Boondockers Jazz & Comedy Band
> See: http://www.theboondockers.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dan Augustine" <ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu>
> To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 7:44 PM
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Turk Murphy band horn-placement
>
>
> > 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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> >
> >
>