Who are your top 5 all-time giants of the tuba?

[roweenie]

it only took seven posts to hijack the topic.

Eight, including yours.

[Michael Bush]

I don't think a bunch of people throwing out their (usually) underfunded opinions about the superlative these-or-those "of all time" (by which we invariably mean the last few decades) on the Internet is worthwhile very often.

Is there some larger project this question feeds into that would make it an exception?

[Dave Detwiler]

Hi Michael - yes there is, but I didn't want to tip my hand. But perhaps a little more explanation might help to return this thread to the original question.

I am working on an article on a tuba player who was quite famous in the late 19th/early 20th century, and I was going to dub him "the forgotten giant of the tuba." But then I thought, "Well, perhaps he is not as 'forgotten' as I'm assuming," and thought tossing a question out on TubeNet might give me an idea as to whether he is still considered one of the "giants." He certainly was back in his day!

Not a scientific poll, of course, but I was just interested in getting a sense. Hope this helps!

[Michael Bush]

Hi Michael - yes there is, but I didn't want to tip my hand. But perhaps a little more explanation might help to return this thread to the original question.

I am working on an article on a tuba player who was quite famous in the late 19th/early 20th century, and I was going to dub him "the forgotten giant of the tuba." But then I thought, "Well, perhaps he is not as 'forgotten' as I'm assuming," and thought tossing a question out on TubeNet might give me a idea as to whether he is still considered one of the "giants." He certainly was back in his day!

Not a scientific poll, of course, but I was just interested in getting a sense. Hope this helps!

I suspected as much, because of your record of publishing such things.

[tofu]

BTW, Chicago (the band) is probably the most awesome rock band ever, and as far as I know, is still not in the Rock Hall of Fame....

Happened back in April. Five of the original seven band members attended. Original bassist Peter Cetera declined to attend. One of my cousins is an original member. And yeah - the music is still great.

[roweenie]

BTW, Chicago (the band) is probably the most awesome rock band ever, and as far as I know, is still not in the Rock Hall of Fame....

Happened back in April. Five of the original seven band members attended. Original bassist Peter Cetera declined to attend. One of my cousins is an original member. And yeah - the music is still great.

Yay!!!! (It's about frickin' time......)

[ken k]

For me John Fletcher and Sam Pilafian.

I only heard recordings of Fletch, but was blown away when I first heard the recordings of him with the PJBE.

I studied with Sam for a summer (1983) at the BU Tanglewood Institute when he was with the Empire Brass. his sound and style really impressed me.

I know there are many other great tuba players out there, but these two touched me personally.

kk

[Tabor]

Moritz
The Wieprecht father & son
Vaclav Cerveny
Andrew Del Piero

[Rick Denney]

I haven't seen August Helleberg mentioned, or Harry Barlow, both of which presented a greater turning point in the development of tuba playing than many on the lists people have brought up. That qualfier "all-time" presupposes an even knowledge of performance history, much of which occurred before recordings were invented, let alone effective for such low frequencies or commonly available. But Barlow influenced several generations of British orchestral tuba players, probably until Fletcher came along (though George Wall also broke out of that tradition, I think). Helleberg was certainly influential as a performer and teacher, but I've never heard him perform so it's hard to assess whether he really is a giant. But he surely had the influence and changed the course of American performance. Following him, it would have to be Bill Bell and then Arnold Jacobs who had that kind of influence. Later than that one cannot say (yet)--history is for subsequent generations to write.

I agree with Wade, and disagree with him. There have been tuba players who have concentrated on being the best musician they could be, rather than being the best tuba player they could be. Those are the tuba players we should emulate--and in so doing we are emulating the musician approach to playing the tuba, rather than the tuba player approach. The giants of the tuba are the ones who play tuba, but rise above it to make music. As influential as was Bobo, when he played Carnival of Venice on the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson could only assess what he'd heard by describing Doc Severinson's reaction, not by expressing his own opinion. And as impressive as Bobo played it, any decent trumpet soloist could have done better--on a trumpet. "Hey, I can play almost as well as a trumpet on this giant thing," which seems to me a parlor trick.

The first recording of tuba performance that I could play for my non-tuba-playing friends was Sam Pilafian's Travelin' Light. All the tuba recordings I happened to be playing prior to that recording required the explanation that I am a tuba player. ("Why are you playing that?" "I'm a tuba player." "Oh.") When I played Travelin' Light for one old buddy (the year it came out), he said, "You could actually listen to this all the way through."

The giants transcend the traditional tuba role, and that includes the traditional tuba role of trying to sound almost as good as smaller instruments. I was listening to a well-known bassist who played a 'cello work. He was undoubtedly good, but I would rather have heard the work on 'cello.

Rick "who could not possibly name five" Denney

[hbcrandy]

John Fletcher
Bill Bell
Arnold Jacobs
Warren Deck
Harvey Phillips

[Rick F]

I couldn't name 5 but Sam Pilafian should be one on that list. As a founding member of the Empire Brass in early '70s, he always sounded great. I still listen often to Baroque Brass and Russian Brass in the car.

[Rick Denney]

As influential as was Bobo, when he played Carnival of Venice on the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson could only assess what he'd heard by describing Doc Severinson's reaction, not by expressing his own opinion. And as impressive as Bobo played it, any decent trumpet soloist could have done better--on a trumpet. "Hey, I can play almost as well as a trumpet on this giant thing," which seems to me a parlor trick.

I almost put Michael Lind on my list for this exact reason. He can play CoV better than any trumpet player. And after playing his recording for my trumpet playing friends, they agree with me

I would have thought the same thing until I watched a YouTube video of Maurice Andre playing it, but he was WAY beyond "any decent trumpet player".

Rick "agreeing that Michael Lind has been one of the most musical tuba players in his experience" Denney

[S.G.F.]

So only 5 is kinda tough, but came down to the guys that do many things I like, over the guys that do a few things I like, or I can't do.........

In no particular order

Roger Bobo
Floyd Cooley
Gene Pokorny
John Fletcher
Alexander Putkammer - nobody else can make a Bflat sound like that!!

and the "they-only-let-me-pick-5" list would continue through

Dave Glidden
Walter Hilgers
Steve Rosse
Tim Buzbee
Jens Bjorn-Larsen
Dean Morley
Chris Olka
Mike Roylance

[Tubaguyry]

I couldn't keep it to five, hard as I tried!!!

Teacher -- Arnold Jacobs
Ambassador/Promoter -- Harvey Phillips
Showman -- Roger Bobo
Composer -- John Stevens
Player -- Michael Lind/Floyd Cooley (I can't decide, sorry!)
Vastly, VASTLY underappreciated -- Ian King

[doublebuzzing]

As influential as was Bobo, when he played Carnival of Venice on the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson could only assess what he'd heard by describing Doc Severinson's reaction, not by expressing his own opinion. And as impressive as Bobo played it, any decent trumpet soloist could have done better--on a trumpet. "Hey, I can play almost as well as a trumpet on this giant thing," which seems to me a parlor trick.

I almost put Michael Lind on my list for this exact reason. He can play CoV better than any trumpet player. And after playing his recording for my trumpet playing friends, they agree with me

I would have thought the same thing until I watched a YouTube video of Maurice Andre playing it, but he was WAY beyond "any decent trumpet player".

Rick "agreeing that Michael Lind has been one of the most musical tuba players in his experience" Denney

I was pretty stunned by this live performance (trumpet): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SybBGqwGXrc" target="_blank

[Rick Denney]

I was pretty stunned by this live performance (trumpet): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SybBGqwGXrc" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Listen to the musicality:

https://youtu.be/fwFuuaK8WqE

Rick "making it sound effortless" Denney

[tobysima`]

Personally the people I idolize are:
Rex Martin
Francois Thuillier
Will Druiett
Roger Bobo
Chris Olka

[ken k]

Also from a jazz perspective I would like to add Howard Johnson to the list.

[tobysima`]

Also from a jazz perspective I would like to add Howard Johnson to the list.

Definitely also add Daniel Ridder - he's a great player! Not jazz but it's something.

[68MercuryCougar]

I went to Ole Miss for two years and had to drop out. I was a music ed major but was flunking out of some of my classes and my dad made me come work for him. I havn't been playin much since then except for I bought me a craiglist horn about 4 month ago.

Its a chinese horn but it plays pretty good. I like it. It is also in c so i feel like a real pro hahah

I never knew much about the tuba world other than people i took some lessons with. So theyd be my top four. I dont know firts hand of any others, just the names and recordings.

1) Mark howell 2 yrs at UM
2) Waid Rakley about one year
3) Chuck Schultz about six lessons
4) Ted Cox one lesson (real good but he moved away)
5) Ed Barr (honorable mention) baritone teacher at Delta State 4 or 5 lessons

These guys all really helped me with my sond and breathing.

By reputation and studying records, I wouuld say

1) Arnold Jacob
2) Warren Deck
3) R. Winston Morris (i met him once at a master class!)
4) Rodger Bobo
5) Bill Bell (It takes a lot of wind to blow a tuba poom poom poom poom

I'm real glad to be playng again, but I need to find some other people to play with. I'm going cray playing wiht the CD player!!!!!!!!!!!1!