[Dixielandjazz] Clarinet Question

[David Richoux]

Phil and all,

Having owned and played some of those "over-the-shoulder" style  
horns, I know why they were obsolete and out of general use long  
before the pre-jazz era. I think most of the brasswind instruments  
that were available in New Orleans in the 1870s and onwards would  
have looked much like horns available in the 20th century (with just  
minor detail differences.)

If (as Sue mentioned) the cheap used horns were available to young  
New Orleans musicians in the early 1900s they would have more likely  
been from the Spanish American War or from the thousands of civilian  
brass bands of the 1880s.

I have many pictures of brass bands (military and civilian) from the  
Civil War/War between the States on through the 1920s - after the mid  
1860s very few used any "over-the-shoulder" horns.

Dave Richoux

On Sep 17, 2007, at 1:02 AM, philwilking wrote:

> A small caveat:
>
> The French army left Louisiana in 1803. It would have been old U.  
> S. army surplus instruments left over from the War between the  
> States and the subsequent occupation (1862 or '63 to 1876) which  
> would have been available to those with little cash money.
>
> I have often fantasized about a jazz band playing those old army  
> band "backfire" instruments at a modern venue.
>
>