1958 SESAC Recording Session

[Alex C]

Below is picture of the brass and woodwinds in a 1958 NYC recording session. Karl King is conducting and the text identifies only Harvey Phillips and Jimmy Burke (trumpet/cornet) as players. If you can identify any of the other players, please do. It would be nice to have the personnel listing for historical purposes.


Several albums credit the "Karl King Band" from SESAC Recording sessions, one could assume from this very session: "The Band's the Thing," "Touchdown!" "Proudly We Hail," and "Glory of the Gridiron."

If you look at the picture, you'll note two medium bore King rotary valve tubas, two double bell baritone horns. It's impossible to determine the make of the baritones even in a larger image.

Very interesting.

Anyone got names for the players?

[Alex C]

The trombone to the left is a Davis Shuman model trombone. Shuman was one of the earliest trombone recitalists in the US and commissioned a number of works in the 40's & 50's. He was short in stature and, I understand, could only reach 6th position by stretching out and could not reach 7th. He had his trombone altered so that the entire slide angled to the right of the bell making slide positions closer to his arm geometry. He also had an extension for mouthpiece angle.

I don't know if the player is Davis Shuman or not. He appears to be shorter than the other trombonists in the picture. The hair is about right for that time in his life but I just don't know.

The patent for the Davis Shuman trombone is http://www.google.com/patents/US2669152, look for a light-colored link under the word "Image" and you'll have a nice detail of the design. Generally, these horns are not very well thought of.

[Alex C]

Here's is the album cover of the extended play SESAC AD-24 promotional record The Band's The Thing!


and the back of the album

[roweenie]

I like the way everyone is dressed really nice, in sport jackets and neckties, even though it's only a recording session.

I want to believe that they are dressed that way out of custom, not for the photograph.

And, I especially like the use of recording bell tubas....

[hbcrandy]

Could the other tubist be Bill Bell?

[Alex C]

Several possibilities have been suggested: Don Butterfield, Jay MacAllister, Joe Novotny, Phil Cadwell... but people more familiar with Mr. Bell than I say that the other tubist is definitely not Bill Bell.

[Alex C]

Novotny has been most often cited but the website lists that person as Harvey Phillips. People forget that Harvey was not heavy in those days.

[dapperpoet]

It's Harvey. Trust me. In the years I knew him, he went up in down in weight, a lot like Jackie Gleason. Or me.

[dapperpoet]

Jim: My name is Dan Henry. I was in the freshmen class with Eric Strohecker, Norlan, and Jeff Phillips, in '78. I marched in the 100 for 4 years, but did not love music school and ended up, after a couple of years, becoming an English teacher, and after some more work, a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, and I now teach at Auburn and direct the evaluation center here. BTW, I interviewed at Franklin College and liked the place very much.

[hup_d_dup]

The flutist in front is Julius Baker, who was principal at the Pittsburgh Symphony, Chicago Symphony, and NY Philharmonic. He also played second at Cleveland after graduating from Curtis.

Hup

[dapperpoet]

Look, not that it really matters, but trust me it's Harvey. It's in the eyes. Once you were the target of that gaze (which could go both (hot and frigid depending on whether or not you were doing the work), you never forget it. Also, he had this weird widow's peak, and I think Jesse had this too, never went bald, but always with the high forehead.

[roweenie]

I studied with Don Butterfield. Although the 2nd tuba player is pretty well hidden, I'm certain that's not him.

[Paul Scott]

Yes, that's not Don B. I knew him quite well and the head and face do not match.