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I was at the Pennsylvanis Music Educators conference today and I just heard the Dallas Brass with Nat McIntosh on tuba and sousaphone, who evidently until recently was the sousaphonist and leader of the Young Blood brass band. Thieir show was truly spectacular. All six of them (quintet with a percussionist) were phenomenal and they put on a great show with a bit of choreography and humor and a lot of killer music. If you have not heard them, check them out. great stuff

they do have a website www.dallasbrass.com

ken k

Moreso than a great player (which he definitely is), Nat is an awesome guy to be around.


I met him in a bar on state street in Madison, Wisconsin a couple years ago. Holy cow! What a guy! Incredibly down to earth and hilarious. He treats everyone, even people that he doesn't know, like they are his close friends.


People like Nat and Pat Sheridan are the reason why tuba players are considered the "happy musicians".

His beats and multiphonics definitely helped the overall perception of the instrument as well. I've met several non-brass players talking about youngblood and the stuff he did on the sousaphone. It is good to have at least one guy breaking that stereotypical tuba mold.

harold wrote:He is also in a fairly famous tuba quartet - whose name escapes me right now - but will probably be noted in the very next post.

Sotto Voce what you are thinking of harold?

The tuba quartet he playes with is "soto voce"
they are in my opinion a fantastic tuba quartet.
this is their website...check it out..
http://www.tubaquartet.com/

happy tuba playing![/quote]

In consideration for all of the innovative playing that Nat does today, I heard him play (was it the VW Concerto?) for a Roger Bobo Master Class at the 1998 ITEC at University of Minnesota. He was playing some kind of custom horn, and sounded great on "straight" music. Bobo seemed impressed, too.

I also heard him play in a masterclass at one of the Army Band Tuba Conferences, also for Mr. Bobo. Nat played the crap out of the John Williams, and when he got done with his portion of the masterclass, Mr. Bobo said, "By the way... Ladies and gentleman, that's a CC tuba." Needless to say, he got a standing O. Killer tuba player and musician.

graybach wrote:I also heard him play in a masterclass at one of the Army Band Tuba Conferences, also for Mr. Bobo. Nat played the crap out of the John Williams, and when he got done with his portion of the masterclass, Mr. Bobo said, "By the way... Ladies and gentleman, that's a CC tuba." Needless to say, he got a standing O. Killer tuba player and musician.

Yes, the more "straight" stuff he played on the CC tuba with Dallas Brass was impeccable also.
So he played CC on the straight stuff and BBb sousa on the jazzier stuff.

ken k

...

I saw them in January and he was playing a front action besson Eb and a sousa.Great,of course.The first time I saw them was '88.Charlie Villarubia on a 3/4 rudy CC with a screw off bell.Awesome...

MikeMason wrote:I saw them in January and he was playing a front action besson Eb and a sousa.Great,of course.The first time I saw them was '88.Charlie Villarubia on a 3/4 rudy CC with a screw off bell.Awesome...

His tuba looks a bit like the Besson 983 but it is actually an Accent Tuba, made in Germany. I think he said it was the same company that makes Meinl horns. It is a CC and is a bit larger than the 983. The group is Accent performance artists and they all play Accent instruments.

The Accent company had a display at the conference and their horns are very nice. Their pro horns are made in Markneukirchen Germany. "...the same town where Meinl Weston, B&S, VMI and Gerhard Schneider instruments are made." according to the brochure. "This is Europe's most modern brasswind factory..."

visit www.accent.cc

ken k

Yeah, his YBBB stuff is amazing. I'll sadly say that I haven't seen him live, too.

Just out of curiousity: Does anyone know why he left YBBB?

I was at this concert, because I was in the Orchestra, and he was flat out amazing. I've heard him with YBBB, but I've never actually seen him play live, and it blew me away.

I seem to remember it was "artistic differences".

I'm a big fan of McIntosh too. Does anyone know I can contact him to take a few private lessons? I'd really appreciate any help