Who are your top 5 all-time giants of the tuba?

[tclements]

Jacobs
Bobo
Johnson
Deck
Sheridan

[loose tubas]

Chris Olka, Chris Olka, Chris Olka, Chris Olka oh - and Chris Olka

[tubamarc8891]

Pat Sheridan
Sam Pilafian
James Gourlay
Stefan Ambrosius
Chris Olka

[tobysima`]

Pat Sheridan
Sam Pilafian
James Gourlay
Stefan Ambrosius
Chris Olka

Is this Marc Placencia? If so, I've enjoyed your Wyvern video and your new ZO BBb video! How is the high register on the horn? And why Bb over C? Also, how does that horn compare to the Viverna?

[tubamarc8891]

Pat Sheridan
Sam Pilafian
James Gourlay
Stefan Ambrosius
Chris Olka

Is this Marc Placencia? If so, I've enjoyed your Wyvern video and your new ZO BBb video! How is the high register on the horn? And why Bb over C? Also, how does that horn compare to the Viverna?

It is! I’ll shoot you a PM.

[tobysima`]

Pat Sheridan
Sam Pilafian
James Gourlay
Stefan Ambrosius
Chris Olka

Is this Marc Placencia? If so, I've enjoyed your Wyvern video and your new ZO BBb video! How is the high register on the horn? And why Bb over C? Also, how does that horn compare to the Viverna?

It is! I’ll shoot you a PM.

Thanks!!

[Gus_Pratt]

For me they'd be:

Howard Johnson
Jim Self
Roger Bobo
Tommy Johnson
Dave Bargeron
Stan Freeze

I wanted to, but couldn't eliminate any of these to make it just 5

[T. J. Ricer]

Not much new to add, but as an English speaker/American the giants would have to be:

Arnold Jacobs
Bill Bell
Harvey Phillips
Roger Bobo
John Fletcher


In my life, in-person:

Mike Thornton
Sande MacMorran
Don Harry
Pat Sheridan
Sam Pilafian


The recorded sounds that have most excited/influenced me over the years:

Chuck Dallenbach
Marty Erickson
Mike Thornton
Pat Sheridan
Andreas Martin Hofmeir

And, of course, none of these are “only” lists.

Thanks to all who came before and all who continue to inspire!
-T. J.

[tubaphillips]

My personal top 5 in no particular order are:
Kirk Joseph
Phil Fraiser
Marcus Rojas
Ray Draper
Bob Stewart

[Alex C]

It is too early to list anyone who became prominent after 2000, there hasn't been enough time to assess their impact.


Arnold Jacobs - he changed the way the whole orchestra sounded when he played and he changed pedagogy from witchcraft to science. No other tuba player has done that.

Roger Bobo - he revolutionized the way tubists, composers and musicians looked at tuba as a solo instrument. He was from another dimension.

Tommy Johnson - he is the most recorded tuba player in the world and the most listened to tuba player in the world. If you don't know the BankofAmerica commercial recording and story, it is the quintessential Tommy Johnson story.

John Fletcher - like Bobo and Jacobs, no one can sound like him and few have ever played at his level of musicianship. His work on Star Wars and with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble is unmatched.

Harvey Phillips - Harvey did more to increase the number of jobs for tuba than anyone who ever lived. He was the first to change the image of the tuba from a bumbling comic to a first class musical instrument. In 1960 there were maybe half a dozen people who "mostly" taught tuba in college. Every other tuba/Euphonium player currently teaching in college directly owes their job to the tireless work of Harvey Phillips. His contributions are immeasureable and it's a shame every college tuba student in America doesn't know that.


That leaves out a two or three really excellent musicians but if you want MY top five, these guys.

[tubeast]

I´d say
- whoever it was in the 1840s to 1850s that nourished in composers of that era (the contemporaries of Wagner, later on: Bruckner and others) the confidence and trust that recently invented Tubas could be useful at all in Orchestra
- Bill Barber and Howard Johnson, who to my Knowledge were most prominent in claiming a role for tuba in "modern" Jazz.
At least they appear on widely known and appreciated Jazz Albums.
- Michael Lind, and no, not ONLY because of "Carnival of Venice"
- Oystein Baadsvik, for similar reasons as Lind. I was present when his musicianship made accompanying wind band members cry on stage during rehearsal. Edit: the reason being, that they had been deeply moved by the solo part of Arild Plau´s Tuba concerto. I had witnessed the preparing rehearsals in absence of the soloist: strange Music when played by itself. When Baadsvik entered the stage it was the first time we had been confronted with the solo part.

[Low Brass Excerpts]

Warren Deck is my all time favorite orchestral tubist alongside with Don Harwood (My favorite orchestral bass trombonist of all time) They were the bass trombone/tuba dream team.