[Dixielandjazz] Joe Tarto Tubist?

[J. D. Bryce]

I worked with Joe Tarto in the late 1970's at Hambone Kelly's Banjo Emporium
and Eatery.  I was with the Buffalo Disaster Jazz Band.  One time, I offered
to carry his tuba out to his car.  He demurred, saying, "When I'm too old to
carry it, I'm too old to play it."

He was a marvelous musician and a sweet man. I have pictures of Joe at
Hambone's with the Buffalo guys. They're family heirlooms.

He also told me an incredible story about when he played with the NBC
Symphony, conducted by Toscanini, in the early 1930's.  He said the Symphony
was actually composed of studio and Broadway pit musicians as well as
college music professors, etc.  They would rehearse on a Saturday afternoon
for Sunday afternoon's broadcast. Then, NBC would fund a working brunch
where the maestro would talk them through their parts, what he expected,
when, etc.  This one time, they were to play Ravel's Bolero, and some of the
clarinet section were to double the sax parts.

According to Joe, Toscanini was talking about the alto sax part, which was
to have been played by a young Benjamin Goodman, doubling from clarinet.
Toscanini said, (and Joe did an impeccable Italian accent for this
recounting), "Benjamino, when you play the clarinet, is like (he kisses his
fingers).  But when you play the sax, is like a dog die.  Give the part to
Arturo.  He was referring to another clarinetist, who was better on alto
sax.....Artie Shaw.  Shaw and Goodman in the same section.  Can you picture
that!!!?

 I don't know whether the story is true, but that's what Joe told me.

Jack Bryce
One of Littllefield's Minions



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <HSalotti at aol.com>
To: <Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2006 10:55 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Joe Tarto Tubist?


> Hello All,  Joe Tarto was a great tuba player.  Does anyone have any
stories
> about him that they can recall?  Thanks,    Harry (tubist)
> _______________________________________________
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz