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Got to play with some really good brass players Wednesday evening. The King's Brass plays a varied program of religious, patriotic, and popular tunes. Their instrumentation is three trumpets, three bones, a tuba, a keyboard player, and a percussionist. The trumpet players all use Bb, C, flugelhorns, and piccolo trumpets. The bones use alto, tenor, and bass bones. The keyboard player used synths and piano, and the percussionist did everything in the kitchen!!!

As an added feature, they ask local brass players to play along on some of their tunes..... not added/throw away parts, but everything they play. My family and I have done it in the past, but this time it was really fun. My wife was on trombone, my daughter was on french horn, and I was on tuba. Probably 15 extra people altogether.
Their tuba player uses a Miraphone 186, (a newer model than mine) and he's a Miraphone rep. He says that he loves his horn, and the company treats him very well.

It was really nice to have the opportunity to talk at length to these guys about instruments, their gigs, and music in general.

A good time was had by all!!!!

Dan Davis, their tuba player, is on faculty at Tennessee Tech. Very nice and informative individual. I was particularly interested in his tuba strap setup. A waist belt with a hook/peg for a lower bow ring. It allowed him fluid movement without shoulder strap tension. Custom made by an individual in Austria. Again, a nice person and a very good player.

Yep. Dan is a great guy..... and very talented!! That belt was designed a few years ago. I saw it advertised on line and thought it would be the perfect set up, but I needed something very quickly, and ended up with a Neotech harness. In fact, after thinking about it, I needed it to play with "them" three years ago at an outdoor concert.

Tim Zimmerman, their leader, is married to the daughter of friends of ours.