TubeNet

Yesterday evening, Andy Loree and myself had the pleasure to hear Tony Kniffen playing Andy's beautiful Conn 46K Jumbo sousaphone grand with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in solo from The Grinch who Stole Christmas

See video on YouTube at http://youtu.be/IlBsO7ewjh8

Enjoy!

Very nice video!

Well played.

If any TubeNeters wants to go over and hear the Jumbo for yourself, I understand Tony Kniffen will be playing in "Duke Energy Yuletide Celebration" performances December, 19th to 23rd except the afternoon of 22nd.
http://www.indianapolissymphony.org/

It is very well worthwhile - the whole show is excellent with on the tuba side lots of good sounds from the Yorkbrunner the rest of the show!

Tony did a great job!

And, I'm glad to see all the good use that this instrument is getting. The jumbo was languishing in Vermont when I bought it in the late 1990's. From the photos, I thought it was a silver jumbo body with a lacquered bell. Imagine my surprise when I received it, started cleaning it up and discovered that the bell was gold-plated! It is quite a honey of a horn, with lots of bell engraving. In the center of the bell engraving is the earliest and largest "lady" design I've seen on a tuba, the head and shoulders of a lady with lots of curly hair, framed in a sizeable heart pattern. And yes, it is an excellent player, the best jumbo I've ever played. To give you an idea of the size of that horn, that is a 28" bell diameter, which looks smallish compared to the throat of the horn, and the valve bore is in the .770" range.

Andy acquired it from me several years ago, and has been delighting audiences with it ever since. Good show, guys!

You can now see more pictures at http://www.wessex-tubas.com/jumbo/

Very cool! I love the mid to high range on the Conn Jumbos. They speak so easily and smoothly! That solo took a lot of air!

In all seriousness, THIS is exactly what orchestras need to do more often to bring in subscribers. The average Gen X / Gen Y potential listener does not have a clue what a Mahler symphony is. A guy playing The Grinch on a massive horn is sure to attract attention.

MartyNeilan wrote:In all seriousness, THIS is exactly what orchestras need to do more often to bring in subscribers. The average Gen X / Gen Y potential listener does not have a clue what a Mahler symphony is. A guy playing The Grinch on a massive horn is sure to attract attention.

Whenever my wife and I go to see an orchestra, I joke that we're about 40 years younger than everyone else around us...

MartyNeilan wrote:In all seriousness, THIS is exactly what orchestras need to do more often to bring in subscribers. The average Gen X / Gen Y potential listener does not have a clue what a Mahler symphony is. A guy playing The Grinch on a massive horn is sure to attract attention.

I was lucky enough to catch the ISO's program last night. Mr. Kniffen's performance was just the tip of the holiday iceberg. The ISO brought in a LOT of talent to make it happen- singers/dancers/circus performers. Plenty to catch the crowd's attention there; and the crowd was enthusiastic for the "show." Seems that programs with these kinds of features could be a "gateway" through which people could be introduced to classical music.