TubeNet

Just thought it would be a fun idea to see what everyones been playing since we're all stuck at home these last few weeks or so. With all this time at home I've really had a lot of time to 'retool' a lot of my playing and listen to a lot of great recordings. So with that, what's everyone playing right now? Or, what're you listening to?

I'm watching or listening to lots of stuff on youtube.

At present, I'm quite enjoying hearing Willie Clark play his 5/4 Rudolf Meinl CC in the Barclay Brass.

I realized in my post that I didn't even say what I've been doing during this time. Oops.

For the most part I've been retooling my playing and just going back to fundamentals.

Listening wise, however, I've been listening to a lot of Stevie Wonder and Maynard Ferguson, and a healthy sprinkling of Yo-Yo Ma.

SWE wrote:I've been listening to D-Nice's Club Quarantine

cjk wrote:I'm watching or listening to lots of stuff on youtube.

At present, I'm quite enjoying hearing Willie Clark play his 5/4 Rudolf Meinl CC in the Barclay Brass.

I'll have to check them out again, it's been a while since I've listened to them!

Right now I'm listening to "Life is Hard, But Life Is Hardest When You're Dumb" by the Austin Lounge Lizards. A gift from a certain tuba player who knew I needed it, subjected as I am presently to endless document review--documents written by engineers.

Sorry, no tuba content. Wouldn't apply anyway.

Rick "who likes that one about as well as 'Jesus Loves Me (But He Can't Stand You)'" Denney

When I'm in the mood for tuba-related, I'm listening to a lot of Bruckner.

For the most part, though, I'm listening to Rahim AlHaj, Carles Trepat, and after a request from my daughter for jazz violin, the Avalon Jazz Band.

As for playing, on tuba I'm doing Bach cello suites and etudes.

On lute I'm doing Giovanni Zamboni and Nicolas Vallet.

These days, mostly just the local classical radio station. It's pretty decent:
* Not mired in obscurity
* Doesn't usually play single movements of larger works (I hate it when stations do that!)

I actually listen to my previous local classical station very often, although I recently learned that the nighttime host of a bazillion years recently retired. (I listened to him at night since I was about 8 or 9 years old. Good for him to retire, just, for the last 30 years it's been such a constant to hear that voice on the radio.)

PS, I'd prefer to listen to talk radio all day and night and in the car, but:
1) my wife and kids are never going to have it, even for a little while
2) even more than the election season stuff (still a thing?), I already know the topic of conversation on every show, and it's just too much. Easier to ignore it, especially if I'm already self quarantined and hiding under my bed from all the germs.

Not tuba-related (at first), but Jacob Collier! Oh, my goodness, what a gifted young musician!

Try this, for starters - his cover of "All Night Long," which includes Take 6, a killer studio orchestra, and cameos by Quincy Jones. Just try not to smile as you watch and listen to his version! (And we could use some smiles right now, huh?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nspqYGz-Z1s

But check out this collaboration of Jacob with Snarky Puppy (seriously), that includes . . . wait for it . . . a Sousaphone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqY3FaZmh-Y

Honestly, top notch music - esp. if you like jazz. Enjoy!

I'm listening now to Wind Music of Holst and Vaughan Williams, played by the London Wind Orchestra conducted by Denis Wick. I've had this recording for years--both Holst Suites, English Folk Song Suite, Toccata Marziale, and Hammersmith.

Funny, but these are considered hopeless warhorses and no good community band director wants to touch them. And yet, despite having played in at least a dozen bands over the last 50 years, I've only played the Holst Suite 1 three times, Suite 2 once, EFSS maybe five times, Toccata Marziale perhaps twice, and Hammersmith never. I'm reminded just how good these pieces are as pure listening experiences, and they are so satisfying to play well.

Rick "who has played Broadway Curtain Time, on the other hand, twenty-seven thousand times, but thankfully never in the current band" Denney

Despite the wide variety of CD's I generally listen to while at work, I'm now working from home, and am currently influenced by the dusty pawn shop special 12-string (well, 11-string at present) I purchased a couple of weeks ago. My group of friends and I have a gig at a threshing show (in Nowthen, MN - have you heard of it?!) in August, so I'm listening for tunes that we can both sing well and play well in a group of two 6- stings, a 12-string, bass, and fiddle. Think Gordon Lightfoot, Linda Ronstadt, the Everly Brothers, the Seekers, some Gospel, etc. Our presentation last year was well received, hoping for more of the same. We have decent male vocalists and a terrific female voice in the mix, and we harmonize nicely. It's always fun.
Btw, as a 4-valve tuba player I find I'm 7 fingers short for this 11-string. Feel free to send any tips.
Tim

I mean, lately I haven't been playing much at all since I'm sick. Not with the coronavirus, but I still can't play. But I've been doing czardas by Monti and its pretty. I love that solo. and then I've been listening to a lot of movie soundtracks and stuff by Gustav Holst, Frank Tichelli and John Mackey. But that's just the not me stuff. I play Disney music on the piano and some classical, and I love listening to pop and rap music so I've also been doing a lot of that.

.

I'm listening to Renee Fleming singing a gorgeous aria from one of Erich Korngold's early operas. It's compassionate and dignified. (Also, somewhat erotic.)

https://youtu.be/RPZwTJyRQP8?t=15" target="_blank

Prior to Korngold's move to Los Angeles and movie score fame, he was the most performed composer at Vienna Opera, second only to Richard Strauss. Some prominent musical figures at that time were effusively declaring him to be the "next Mahler". Whatever, he survived the Nazis. It was Hollywood's gain.

Ace

Back to "home". the original CSO recording of Pictures. Well, near as I have - maybe - this is the CD release coupled with Bartok. To me the old Mercury recording done in 54 with Kubelik is the benchmark recording. The opening promenade with Bud is music from heaven. Yes there are flaws in Jake's Bydlo but it is still very worth hearing.

Probably I am biased as in high school I had the public library's original Mercury recording out an almost permanent loan. Many a night I played it before going to sleep, not imagining that I would later spend a few years studying with Jake or having him, Bud, Frank Crissafulli, Vince Cichowickz and several others from the orchestra as friends.

One day I must open the big box of my record collection and play some of the old vinyl I have had sealed up for almost 50 years - I know there are some good ones in there.