"100th anniversary of the end of the use of a tuba"

tubajoe · Post by **tubajoe** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:33 pm

Someone ought to commemorate (I wont say celebrate) the END of jazz looking forward -- and the start of it turning itself into "historical reproduction theatre" (damn, where's my straw hat??)
It has to be at least 25-30 years now...

...sheesh...

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:43 pm

As in historical reenactment? It's like watching the news on TV with actors to portray the stories that are being told.

Gongadin · Post by **Gongadin** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:40 pm

LoyalTubist wrote:Some tuba players were also great bass players, such as Country Washburn, who was one of the tuba players who worked for Spike Jones.

Same with Roger Donley, who also worked for Spike. Same for John Kirby, who didn't work for Spike, but....well, he needs no introduction.

Gongadin · Post by **Gongadin** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:45 pm

dwaskew wrote:and another.............

Stingy Brim
Johnnie Valentino | OmniTone
By Mark F. Turner

Appearances can be deceiving. After glancing at the front cover of Stingy Brim and reading some of the information in the package, you may think this is just a typical organ/guitar combo.

I'm willing to wager that these reviewers barely even gave the recording a listen. I can tell they definitely didn't do any research on the history of tuba in jazz! I'll bet that they did a quick Google Search for tuba and jazz and found something about Lester Bowie and grabbed a bit of that info, and some other tidbits they found, and cobbled together a shoddy review. Trying to sound knowledgable, but failing miserably in the process to anyone who actually knows about the topic.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 3:54 pm

bloke wrote:How many tubas are sold in the U.S. each year...as opposed to electric basses?

...or upright acoustic basses, for that matter?

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 4:52 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:
bloke wrote:How many tubas are sold in the U.S. each year...as opposed to electric basses?
...or upright acoustic basses, for that matter?

Well, the difference is that it takes some degree of skill to play an upright bass, even if pizz only. I have been amazed at the amount of electric bass "holders" (although many didn't even hold it correctly) that I have come into contact with that own one or more basses - often 5 string - but have little clue of what to do with them. Such a person would not even be able to get the first note out of a tuba.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:08 pm

MartyNeilan wrote:Well, the difference is that it takes some degree of skill to play an upright bass, even if pizz only. I have been amazed at the amount of electric bass "holders" (although many didn't even hold it correctly) that I have come into contact with that own one or more basses - often 5 string - but have little clue of what to do with them. Such a person would not even be able to get the first note out of a tuba.

Reminds me of the interview with the members of a Swedish girl band that I heard. The "bassist" simply used numbered stick-on tags on the neck of her e-bass to show where to put her finger and used a score consisting of notation that looked like 1-1-1-1 2-2-2-2 4-4-1-1, etc... She was so proud that she "learned to play bass" in only one week.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:39 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:Reminds me of the interview with the members of a Swedish girl band that I heard. The "bassist" simply used numbered stick-on tags on the neck of her e-bass to show where to put her finger and used a score consisting of notation that looked like 1-1-1-1 2-2-2-2 4-4-1-1, etc... She was so proud that she "learned to play bass" in only one week.

Now what would be funny is to "rearrange" her numbered tags without her knowing it...

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:43 pm

Nothing to forgive, Doc. Most people today are trained to imagine any bass as string bass or bass guitar. That's o.k.. Alls you have to do is set a tuba up on the bandstand and it won't be long before several in the crowd request to hear somebody blow that sucker.
It is possible, even for a geezer like me, to play any and all basslines-all night long on just a tuba if the tuba man works his butt off. It's more difficult physically and mentally than playing bass with strings but it can be done and the payoff from the extra effort is really worth it.
A tuba bassman that can cook gets a lot more attention and credit than a string bassman of comparable talent and effort. That may not be fair but it's true. A tuba player will also wind up playing lots more solos because it's a horn as well as a bass. You can make people laugh and cry with any good horn.

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:07 pm

Since a four hour gig beats my lips up so bad, (Swell the first day and 4-7 zits by the second), I am trying to play more rhythm guitar and bass guitar while singing lead and backup.
If my tuba is on a solid stand, it is easy and fast to pull a guitar or bass across my lap while not having to move my drum throne and swing the boom mike in close in just a matter of seconds. Silent tuning helps me check tune fast and not bog down the show tinkering with equipment.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 11:02 pm

Doc wrote: I love playing upright bass. No one in my circles I make plays one - lots of polka bands, big band/dixie groups, and classic country/western swing bands, plus I do recording sessions occasionally.

French bow or German bow, Doc? I never could get the hang of the German bow myself, so it's Freedom bow for me.

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 9:44 am

I'm lucky to play with John Reno who is a fine singer and strummer as well as a former trumpeter and tuba fan. I get a full, through-the-progression tuba solo on at least every other song and all the trumpet solos I can handle (which isn't very many).
Like Ben, I play the bars and beach clubs. Kurt Schneider (harmonica) and I play all solos and fill and get to improv most everything we do.
Our prime directive is "fun gigs only" and it's great to play with two guys who were sailing buddies for years before we began performing together.
Dennis Gray
tubatooter1940
www.johnreno.com/

lgb&dtuba · Post by **lgb&dtuba** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 3:10 pm

Doubling on tuba and upright bass - now there's a hernia waiting to happen

I played trombone for a while in a big band where the bassist played tuba for a couple of months while his UB was being replaced. Worked out well.

I can see me trying to cram an UB into the room where all the rest of my instruments are right now. I'd have to leave the room to change my mind.

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 5:54 pm

Doc wrote:Bow? Who said anything about a bow? I said I played upright bass, not contrabass.

Hmmm. I find that playing arco is very much like playing tuba regarding phrasing. I think that playing bass has helped my tuba playing and vice versa.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:02 pm

But what does Antigen-Reactive Cell Opsonization have to do with upright fish?