Cities Service Band of America

[LoyalTubist]

Did you see who the tuba players were?

Bill Bell
Fred Pfaff
Abe Torchinsky
Joe Tarto

Wow, not a ringer in the bunch!

Fred Pfaff played for radio programs in New York in the 1930s and '40s.

That was a dream tuba section!

Sorry to be redundant of what you said, Bandmaster, but this was an amazing section!

[LoyalTubist]

True, but they used sousaphones. But who cares? What a great section!

[Alex C]

I wonder if Fred Fennell ever saw that? In one of his first concerts and recording sessions with the Dallas Wind Symphony, he had the tubas sit in the middle of the second row. I thought it was very strange. It sounds a lot different there, too.

I can't imagine the problems sousaphones caused in the middle of the Cities Service Band. The two rows behind us complained constantly ("are you going to be holding your horn up at letter M," "lean left/right," etc.).

Maybe Lavalle was taller than Fennell....

[van]

I remember listening to the Cities Service Band on radio Monday nights in the late 1940s and early 1950s and, I think, watching them on TV in the early 1950s (my memory is foggy on that). My parents took the family to Radio City Music Hall once to see the program broadcast live followed a half-hour later by the "Voice of Firestone" orchestra/opera program (or was it reversed order?). What amazed me as a kid was the activity on stage during the half-hour interval with the set change, relocation of chairs, stands, announcer location, mike setups, sound checks, tune-ups, etc. As a kid I had no idea who any of the musicians were, let alone the four guys in the tuba section. It would be nice to turn the clock back 50+ years and relive that experience, except having my present knowledge of who I was listening to.

[LoyalTubist]

....Maybe Lavalle was taller than Fennell....

Frederick Fennell was height impared, but I don't think Paul Lavalle was that much taller. I saw him with the McDonald's All-American Band at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena... He didn't seem any taller than maybe 5'8", but I could be wrong.

[Frank Ortega]

I have this recording of Big Joe the Tuba on 78. The sound is amazing!
"Big Joe" referred to a 7 foot tuba that Joe Tarto had made by King to play in the broadway pits. I once saw some promotional photos of Joe Tarto and Paul Lavavlle with that horn.

[LoyalTubist]

Big Joe, the Tuba was also a march written by Paul Lavalle about that big bass horn. According to Winston Morris' Tuba Music Guide, the tuba part was sold alone with piano accompaniment.

Now that's how to play a march!

[LoyalTubist]

http://www.cafepress.com/cotr_mail333.56613023

Buy a hat with the Cities Service logo.

[eupher61]

"Band of America March" is one of my personal favorites. A total bear to play well, too.

[LoyalTubist]

Paul Lavalle's real name was:

Joseph Usifer


He started out as a clarinet player and, when he got to conduct, Joe Usifer became Paul Lavalle.