Philip Donatelli

[bisontuba]

Hi-
Besides the picture of Philip Donatelli in 'Song and Wind', does anyone have other pictures of Donatelli with a tuba--preferably a 'Conn Donatelli model' tuba? Or does anyone have any Conn literature/catalogs mentioning Donatelli and/or the Donatelli model CC tuba? If so, I'd appreciate the information, source, and/or jpeg--please don't PM email me, but email me at: jonestuba@juno.com
Many thanks!
Regards-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com

[bisontuba]

HI-
Yes, I now the site 'Conn Loyalist' quite well-thanks. It is missing much tuba stuff--the Geib horn (and it is rotary and restored and in Mike L's collection), the Conn Helleberg tubas, the Conn Donatelli tubas (mine is from 1928, I know of one from 1947 and one from 1954) and Harvey's Conn CC tuba (which I just acquired one-1 year away from his-1921). Some day, I am going to scan for them the 1924/26 Conn Bass catalog of mine with John Kuhn on the cover--a tremendous resource on old Conn tubas and tuba players.!
Also, I truly wonder if a Conn grand orchestral tuba, with 23 inch bell, made in CC, actually exists today. Also, the 'Phonograph' model CC Conn tuba-made for August Helleberg is not known--but Harvey may(?) have a gold plated one of these, which he got from John Helleberg, and which may be copied in Europe-it is a bell front small CC tuba-Helleberg's favorite horn.. Also, the Loyalist leaves the tuba mouthpiece section missing many--the famous Helleberg's, the Chief, the Geib, the early '850' series, etc. But I know they have put a lot or work into it, and it is an invaluable resource for Conn fans.
Thanks again.
regards-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com

[trseaman]

Would love to see some pics of your horn...

Tim

[bisontuba]

Hi-
Here they are-a c. 1928 Conn Donatelli model CC tuba-5th valve added, valves redone, 1st slide raised, 20" bell on the Donatelli horn--great player!
Also, the small c.1921 silver 'Harvey' style Conn 4 valve CC tuba-valves redone, has a period silver Martin replacement bell on the instrument.
Enjoy the pics.
Regards-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com
<a><img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/usr/399/ConnDona.JPG" border="0"></a>
<a><img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/usr/399/8810ConnDonb.JPG" border="0"></a>
<a><img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/usr/399/ConnDonc.JPG" border="0"></a>
<a><img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/usr/399/ConnDond.JPG" border="0"></a>
<a><img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/usr/399/CONNc.jpg" border="0"></a>
<a><img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/usr/399/CONNb.jpg" border="0"></a>

[Rick Denney]

Or does anyone have any Conn literature/catalogs mentioning Donatelli and/or the Donatelli model CC tuba?

I have a photocopy of a 1934 Conn catalog of bass instruments, advertising many of their tubas and basses. The quality of my copy is poor, and would not stand another generation usably, so I don't think it would be useful to try to PDF it. There is a section for endorsements. The first one is by Donatelli, with a head-shot photo only (no tuba). The caption says "Philip Donatelli, for 13 years bass tuba, Philadelphia Symphony Orch."

Next to that is a "letter" he wrote, with his signature. The letter is certainly contrived by the Conn ad-man, and perhaps the signature is, too. It says:

Mar. 6, 1934 [this is a guess--the date is mostly illegible, but the year is correct]

Dear Sirs:

I have used Conn basses exclusively since 1907 and consider them the finest and easiest playing basses attainable.

/s/ Philip R. Donatelli

Of course, we know it isn't strictly true--Donatelli at least experimented with the York before selling it to Jacobs. He liked the York well enough to actually pay for it; I suppose he could have sent both prototypes back.

The picture shows a man in his 40's, which fits with the dates in his statement.

The catalog lists a number of other endorsements, which give some context to Donatelli's position as a Conn endorser. Here is what they write:

We can't begin to show here even a small percentage of the very finest stars who use Conns today. The few shown, however, will testify to the leadership of Conn instruments with the stars in all types of engagements and in all parts of the country.

All Conn testimonials are guaranteed to be voluntary and genuine expressions of opinion for which no payment of any kind has been or will be made.

Donatelli's endorsement appears first, suggesting that he was the biggest fish in that pond at the time. Other endorsers were John Manuti (the Met), Arthur Storch (San Francisco Symphony), Cy Carey (WLW Radio; Fillmore Band), Carl Pritchard (MGM Studios), Paul Schmidt (Rochester Phil.), Jack Shirra (Hal Kemp Orchestra), Bernard Miller (Hotel Taft, NY), Myer Rubin (Barney Rapp's New Englanders), Stanley Soboski (Fox Theater, Detroit), Fred Geib (NBC; Walter Damrosch Orch.), Stan Fletcher (Buddy Rogers Orch.), Jason Cox (WRR Staff Orch., Dallas, and Dallas Symphony [funny that the radio gig was mentioned first]), Wm. Alexander (Harolds Stokes Orch., NBC Studios, Chicago).

Of those, I'd only heard of a couple, and, of course, Bill Bell was top dog at the time and played a King. And Geib's appearance well down the list is interesting.

Rick "forgetting who sent him this photocopy" Denney

[bisontuba]

Chewie-
Why not send it to the Conn Loyalist website--their email contact is:
cderksen@xs4all.nl The tuba section could use some new stuff. Thanks!
mark
jonestuba@juno.com

[Bandmaster]

Why don't you make a PDF document out of the scans and post a link to it here so we can all download it. If you don't know how to make a PDF file out of them email them to me and I will do it and post a link to the PDF from my website.

director@soundmachine.org or
dave@gotowebdynamics.com

[bisontuba]

Chewie-
I just to clarify--which catalog do you have scans of--the 1924/26 Conn Bass catalog with John Kuhn on the cover (the one I have) or the 1930's Conn catalog with the Donatelli references that Rick has xerox's of--please advise.
Thanks-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com

[ZNC Dandy]

Cy Carey (WLW Radio; Fillmore Band)

How about that. I'm a tuba player who works for WLW Radio! As did Bill Bell back at the time he played with the Cincinnati Symphony. Always fun to hear stuff like this.

[ZNC Dandy]

Cy Carey (WLW Radio; Fillmore Band)

How about that. I'm a tuba player who works for WLW Radio! As did Bill Bell back at the time he played with the Cincinnati Symphony. Always fun to hear stuff like this.

Does WLW have an archive? Might have some great publicity photos... hint, hint. :D

We do...i'm just not so sure where they are...we moved facilities a few years ago, and they aren't exactly organized yet. But the first chance I get i'm gonna go hunting for them.

[iiipopes]

Hi-
Here they are-

Sorry, it may be operator error, but trying a number of different ways: clicks, cut-and-paste, editing the hash out of the posted urls, etc., I can't get the links to the pix to work.

[Rick Denney]

Necro-thread-apedia

I have a photocopy of a 1934 Conn catalog of bass instruments, advertising many of their tubas and basses.

Donatelli's endorsement appears first, suggesting that he was the biggest fish in that pond at the time. Other endorsers were John Manuti (the Met), Arthur Storch (San Francisco Symphony), Cy Carey (WLW Radio; Fillmore Band), Carl Pritchard (MGM Studios), Paul Schmidt (Rochester Phil.), Jack Shirra (Hal Kemp Orchestra), Bernard Miller (Hotel Taft, NY), Myer Rubin (Barney Rapp's New Englanders), Stanley Soboski (Fox Theater, Detroit), Fred Geib (NBC; Walter Damrosch Orch.), Stan Fletcher (Buddy Rogers Orch.), Jason Cox (WRR Staff Orch., Dallas, and Dallas Symphony [funny that the radio gig was mentioned first]), Wm. Alexander (Harolds Stokes Orch., NBC Studios, Chicago).

I have a York advertisement from Spring 1938 that has Paul Schmidt (still in the Rochester Phil.) playing a York 692CC that says that he and the other tubist (Harry Brown, Indianapolis (Arnold Jacobs successor?) each bought a York 692 and discarded "foreign' basses for the Yorks.

Interesting comment. Foreign? If Schmidt was endorsing Conn in 1934, what "foreign" bass did he play between then and 1938? Helleberg had played a German tuba, but who was playing German tubas in the USA in the 1930's?

Rick "sensing another attack of the ad-man" Denney