[Dixielandjazz] De-Tuning

[Steve barbone]

Anton Crouch <anton.crouch at optusnet.com.au>wrote (polite snip)

> On a different note, literally, I saw (and heard) John Sangster de-tune a
> bandleaders banjo, while the leader had left his chair to go downstage to
> talk to the audience. Yes, you've guessed it - the next number started with
> a banjo introduction. What Ray Price sounded like has to be heard to be
> (dis)believed.
> 
> Have any of our listmates ever engaged in such subversive behaviour?

Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown loved to do that kind of thing. In clubs, they
would come out and go right into the first number, Brown tuning on the fly
if needed. 

Once Peterson, in secret, de tuned Brown's bass completely. Then immediately
went into a very up tempo tune as they got on stage. Brown started fumbling
around to get in tune. Peterson just kept going, looking at him as if to say
"What the hell are you doing?"

Brown got even a few nights later by secretly placing a large amount of
marbles over the strings of the piano. They started, and he feigned
ignorance as OP hit the first chord and they started bouncing all over the
place. OP stopped after a few bars and started removing the marbles with
Brown laughingly helping.

There is also a story about someone re tuning a banjo or guitar by a half
step and then calling out tunes that same half step off. E.G. Calls tune in
B natural (for banjo) when the rest of the band is really playing in Bb,
etc. 

Bound to impress the banjo/guitar player with the rest of the band's ability
to play in strange keys. :-) VBG.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone