[Dixielandjazz] Tuba

[David Richoux]

Robert,

There are several very active tuba portals and forums, but there  
seems to be a major hang-up in getting "classical," "British Brass  
Band," "Marching Band," "Trad jazz/New Orleans Brass Band (old  
school)," "Modern Jazz,""Balkan Brass,"New Orleans Brass Band (new  
school,) "Modern Rock/Funk/.alt/Street Band/polka/.etc." tubists to  
talk about more things we have in common than mouthpieces and valve  
oil!  I don't know

Academic vs. roots learning, Funky Sousaphone vs. 6 rotor-valve  
Symphonic, "D--- & B---- C---- - Good or Bad?", these things don't  
come up for discussion much...

There are a few of us that cross all over the tuba map, and many of  
us are on DJML ;-)

Dave Richoux

On Feb 27, 2008, at 11:11 AM, ROBERT R. CALDER wrote:

> Maybe tuba players should liaise, and take up distinctive qualities  
> of tuba as a theme for musical development.
>
> Twenty-odd years ago I heard an American band short on repertoire  
> at the Edinburgh jazz festival. The leader and cornet player struck  
> me as the image of a recently retired senior military officer, the  
> tuba player looked like a young decathlete, and given to calling  
> everybody over 25 "sir".
> This young guy was an amazing tuba player, and I spoke to him, but  
> he had never heard of Cyrus St. Clair, the maestro who did all that  
> duo work with Ed Allen on Clarence Williams recordings.
> In company with a continental friend some years ago I went to a  
> brass band concert in Birmingham (England) concert hall. There was  
> an ensemble of four tuba players  -- Tubarama -- who mentioned jazz  
> but seemed not to be interested beyond the New Orleans marching  
> band in a James Bond film.  There is actually a lot of tuba  
> repertoire in the great Cyrus's discography -- and he did re-emerge  
> in the late 1940s and play some legendary concerts and get recorded  
> on Rudi Blesh's radio show. Maybe tuba players should liaise, and  
> take up distinctive qualities of tuba as a theme for musical  
> development.
> Bill Barber, who played on the Birth of the Cool recordings, of  
> course took up string bass -- to play Bach!  Tuba was by definition  
> less suitable for various developments in jazz which were developed  
> on the basis of what New Orleans bassists brought in, but they  
> should not be regarded as anything like fossils.
>
> Of course one of the most swinging bassists currently -- whom I  
> heard in a magnificent set with Evan Christopher and David the  
> Australian guitarist last year -- is the Scottish veteran Ronnie  
> Rae.  Interestingly he started on tuba before having lung problems  
> as a very young man.   Maybe some young bassists should be trained  
> on tuba to let them appreciate what string bass can do that tuba  
> perhaps can't -- and that too many virtuoso string bassists these  
> days forget to do!
>
>
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