Newspaper clipping: Sousa on jazz - Bill Bell drawing

[imperialbari]

Pilfering most blatantly from Don Harry!:

[bisontuba]

If I remember correctly, it was found in a trash can!!!

Mark

[The Jackson]

Neat drawing, but it's unfortunately overshadowed by the shame that those apes, cake-eaters, and professional pacifists are still at it with "jazz", that substitute for real music. Have we learned nothing?

[Dave Detwiler]

For what it's worth, the article is probably from January of 1924, based on the comment toward the end of there now being six Sousaphonists in Sousa's band.

[Michael Bush]

Neat drawing, but it's unfortunately overshadowed by the shame that those apes, cake-eaters, and professional pacifists are still at it with "jazz", that substitute for real music. Have we learned nothing?

What is your point? Are you criticizing Klaus for posting this ancient article as if it were an expression of his own opinion today about jazz?

[aqualung]

"SOUSA RAPS"

The man was WAY ahead of his time.

[1895King]

If the clipping is from 1924, Bill Bell could not have been playing for Sousa for 31 years as he was only 22 years old; he was not born until 1902.

[Dave Detwiler]

Yes, I think that quote in the article is incorrect (probably meant Sousa's 31st straight tour). 1924 was Bell's last year with the Sousa Band, and that was the year they had 6 Sousaphonists.

[imperialbari]

Sousa’s ideas about jazz weren’t unique for his time. I have read paper clippings with just about the same sort of vocabulary from same period Danish papers. These ideas weren’t the reason for bringing this clip.

The bell size mentioned for the sousaphone is interesting, but hardly realistic.

There is a photo of two of Bill Bell’s students sharing one pair of his trousers. Of course taken much later than 1924. But was Bill Bell as tall as the paper tells?

Photography had long been invented in 1924. I tend to believe this fairly detailed drawing been made to exaggerate BB’s size. The facial traits a quite close to at least one photo with BB as member of the Sousa band bass section

Klaus

[ppalan]

I don't know exactly how tall he was but he was taller than I am. I'm 6'. I only met him once... when I bought my first tuba, a Meinel-Weston. I was a just a freshman in college at Temple University and studying with Abe Torchinsky. Mr. Bell was delivering a number of horns to the Air Force band in D.C. and stayed overnight at Torchy's house. Since I lived close by he asked me to meet him at Torchy's to pickup my horn. He brought a horn in from the trailer and said I should give it a try. If it wasn't acceptable, he'd go out and get another. So here's this punk kid blowing into a CC tuba for the first time in his life trying out horns between Bill Bell and Abe Torchinsky. Needless to say, I was scared $h!+l3ss.... and I certainly found the horn acceptable. So yeah..he seemed pretty tall to me but then giants usually do.
Pete