[Dixielandjazz] Re: CLYDE McCOY Plunger Mute

[Bob Romans]

TuBob Romans
Cell Block 7
Home 209-339-4676
Cell 209-747-1148
www.cellblockseven2002.net
"Because I play trumpet, I envy no man!"baist Buddy Apfel played with him
too...

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <BillSargentDrums at aol.com>
To: <DWSI at aol.com>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2004 1:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Re: CLYDE McCOY Plunger Mute


> <<Trumpet players: I'm working with a trumpet guy who hates   Clyde
McCoy's
> Sugar Blues BECAUSE it is bad form--or a bad use of a plunger  mute
> (whatever that
> is) and hence not worth trying to imitate. I  rather liked it and  it was
> quite a hit in the 50s, as I recall. What's  your take on this? Is he
> totally
> right? Half right? Or what?
>
> Dan (piano fingers)  Spink>>
>
> It's NOT bad form. Clyde innovated the wah-wah sound. So much so that in
the
> '60s and currently, the daddy of all wah-wah pedals for guitarists, the
> "Vox" brand wah-wah has Clyde's picture on the back. I can think of all
kinds of
> instrumentalists in different genres that picked up on that effect and use
it
> consistently.
>
> HOWEVER, Clyde did NOT use a plunger mute to achieve this. He had a
special
> metal straight mute (not like today's straight mutes. Bob Schulz is the
only
> person I've seen other than Clyde to have one) and a metal mute similar to
> today's rubber plumber's plunger. The plunger cup he used was not a
musical item
>  at all. It was the bottom, base, of the old soda fountain sundae dishes
with
> the  stem attached for holding between his fingers.
>
> BTW, Clyde made his first recording of Sugar Blues in 1929 and by the
early
> '70s, had sold over 13 million recordings of it.
>
> Authenitcation: Spent 3 years with him and paid close attention to
> everything that happened.
>
> BTW Sugar Blues was usually played twice a night. Remember one night it
was
> 5 times. Decided it was a curse to be a one hit wonder. And now I have
> diabetes  . . . just kidding!
>
> Bill
> 414-777-0100
> BillSargent.com
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