[Dixielandjazz] Instruments and vibrato

[Fred Spencer]

Dear David,

Any assessment of the effect of the Civil War on the flooding of the 
civilian market is no doubt more speculation than fact.To quote from "Music 
and Muskets. Bands and Bandsmen of the American Civil War"(Greenwood Press, 
1981) by Kenneth E Olson, "The musicians took their music and instruments to 
their homes where they relegated them lovingly to the attic." In chapter 8, 
"Bands and Bandsmen on the Home Front", the author also points out in this 
scholarly book that there was plenty of music beyond the battle areas. 
Cheers.
Fred

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Richoux" <tubaman at tubatoast.com>
To: <drjz at bealenet.com>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 10:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Instruments and vibrato


> Just like any other military item - band instruments were produced to
> specification, regulations and quantities (many of those procurement
> specs for military band instruments were written by a certain
> Representative C. G.Conn from Indiana - he was in Congress well  before
> the Spanish American War and exclusive contracts with the Conn  company
> lasted to WW1 and beyond.) I have owned several Conn horns  marked USQMC
> (United States Quartermaster Corps) from WW1 Army bands.
>
> As I mentioned in a previous message, I don't think the surplus
> instruments from the early years of the Civil War would have survived
> 30-40 years to to be used much in New Orleans in the 1900s, but there  was
> likely to be a flood of better quality instruments available  after the
> Spanish American War of 1898. There was a strong Army and  Navy Supply
> establishment in New Orleans at the time and the way  things are surplused
> out of the services has not changed much in 150  years. Some local agent
> could have purchased large numbers of horns  and dumped them on the 2nd
> hand markets of the city.
>
> It would be interesting to look closely at Louis Armstrong's "First  Horn"
> to see if there was a military marking on the bell!
>
> However, if we ignore all of that completely and just look at the  history
> of ALL brass bands in the US from 1865 to 1900 it become  obvious that
> there were many thousands of instruments produced in the  USA (and Europe)
> that would be all over the place - finding cheap 2nd  or 3rd hand
> instruments in a city the size of New Orleans would be no  problem.
>
> Certainly easier than it would be now that Werlein's has moved out to
> Metairie...;-)
>
> Dave Richoux
>
> On Sep 23, 2007, at 3:08 PM, Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> My only disagreement with all of this is the number of instruments  from
>> military bands that were supposed to have flooded the market  after
>> several wars.  I have no idea of the history of pawn shops  but just how
>> many could New Orleans have had and how did all those  musicians just
>> happen to show up in New Orleans just to hock their  horn.  Now some have
>> pointed out that New Orleans was a main port  during the Spanish American
>> war but so were several others.  Why  didn't we see a growth of Jazz or
>> something else from those  cities?  I also don't accept that the U.S.
>> government just let them  take their instruments when mustered out.
>> Could have happened but  the government didn't let them take their horse,
>> gun, cannon or  ship so expensive musical instruments in any number, I
>> don't think  so.  Also during the Spanish American war there just weren't
>> lots  military of bands.
>>
>
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