Page 1 of 1
Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:17 pm
by imperialbari
Pilfering most blatantly from Don Harry!:
Re: Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:06 pm
by bisontuba
If I remember correctly, it was found in a trash can!!!
Mark
Re: Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:17 pm
by The Jackson
Neat drawing, but it's unfortunately overshadowed by the shame that those apes, cake-eaters, and professional pacifists are still at it with "jazz", that substitute for real music. Have we learned nothing?
Re: Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:30 pm
by Dave Detwiler
For what it's worth, the article is probably from January of 1924, based on the comment toward the end of there now being six Sousaphonists in Sousa's band.
Re: Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:42 pm
by Michael Bush
The Jackson wrote:Neat drawing, but it's unfortunately overshadowed by the shame that those apes, cake-eaters, and professional pacifists are still at it with "jazz", that substitute for real music. Have we learned nothing?
What is your point? Are you criticizing Klaus for posting this ancient article as if it were an expression of his own opinion today about jazz?
Re: Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:45 pm
by aqualung
"SOUSA RAPS"
The man was WAY ahead of his time.
Re: Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 5:29 pm
by 1895King
If the clipping is from 1924, Bill Bell could not have been playing for Sousa for 31 years as he was only 22 years old; he was not born until 1902.
Re: Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:36 pm
by Dave Detwiler
Yes, I think that quote in the article is incorrect (probably meant Sousa's 31st straight tour). 1924 was Bell's last year with the Sousa Band, and that was the year they had 6 Sousaphonists.
Re: Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:01 pm
by imperialbari
Sousa’s ideas about jazz weren’t unique for his time. I have read paper clippings with just about the same sort of vocabulary from same period Danish papers. These ideas weren’t the reason for bringing this clip.
The bell size mentioned for the sousaphone is interesting, but hardly realistic.
There is a photo of two of Bill Bell’s students sharing one pair of his trousers. Of course taken much later than 1924. But was Bill Bell as tall as the paper tells?
Photography had long been invented in 1924. I tend to believe this fairly detailed drawing been made to exaggerate BB’s size. The facial traits a quite close to at least one photo with BB as member of the Sousa band bass section
Klaus
Re: Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing
Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 9:00 pm
by ppalan
I don't know exactly how tall he was but he was taller than I am. I'm 6'. I only met him once... when I bought my first tuba, a Meinel-Weston. I was a just a freshman in college at Temple University and studying with Abe Torchinsky. Mr. Bell was delivering a number of horns to the Air Force band in D.C. and stayed overnight at Torchy's house. Since I lived close by he asked me to meet him at Torchy's to pickup my horn. He brought a horn in from the trailer and said I should give it a try. If it wasn't acceptable, he'd go out and get another. So here's this punk kid blowing into a CC tuba for the first time in his life trying out horns between Bill Bell and Abe Torchinsky. Needless to say, I was scared $h!+l3ss.... and I certainly found the horn acceptable.

So yeah..he seemed pretty tall to me but then giants usually do.
Pete