A few years ago there was a long panel discussion on this exact subject on TubaNews.com. I was fortunate enough to be on that panel, but the article is not up there anymore. I found a draft of my contribution, here is an excerpt (slightly updated), I thought it would be applicable here... good thread, BTW.
(PS - I try to avoid the term "jazzer", while I do play one on TV, I like to think I'm just as at home hokin Tchaik with a section...
)
Panel question:
Instruments like the sax and trumpet seem to have established themselves
as the "accepted" jazz solo instruments. There must be a reason for this.
What is your take on this statement, and how do you view the tuba as a solo
instrument in a jazz setting?
Response:
Sax and Trumpet, as instruments, are mainly established because of the (sometimes unfortunate) historical emphasis in jazz. Many mainstream “jazz” musicians are extremely traditional and academic and believe that for something to be real “jazz” it has to fit into a certain historical mold, and that someone has to have already set some precedent beforehand. It seems that be-bop has become the traditional mold for much mainstream jazz, and since that era did not include any tuba luminaries, then the tuba must not belong… right?
Wrong! We all know better!!
The tuba is a very young instrument. We are only 2 or 3 generations into the life of the tuba where there are people who can play the thing at a high level. When jazz was in its heyday, there were not any tuba players around that were able or willing to push it in that environment (or that got noticed anyway) ...the way that sax, trumpet, trombone, and piano players did.
As for it being a solo instrument in a jazz situation, I think ANY instrument can be a solo instrument in ANY type of music!!
Panel question:
What are the specific challenges you see tubists facing as jazz
soloists, and what skills must a tubist develop to overcome these
challenges?
Response:
The first challenge is overcoming historical presumption and general public opinion of the tuba. Simply put, most folks (outside of our tubaworld) don’t know how the tuba really can sound!! As tubists we have a responsibility to SHOW the world how great the tuba can sound and what it is capable of (and this includes avoiding the typical schtick etc) and that it is indeed a serious musical instrument with unique and beautiful characteristics, not just fodder for comic strips.
The next challenge is that of jazz traditions (and traditionalists) which are trying to relive a bygone era and choose to exclude the tuba. You can play their tunes if you want, as some of them are nice, but honestly the compulsories in jazz irritate me. To apply the logic of compulsories to other genres shows just how ludicrous it is: Imagine that a rock band MUST play a required amount of Beatles and Zepplin tunes before considering themselves "real" rock musicians.
The final challenge is SONICS.
The sound of the tuba takes up lots of space. Some players deal with this by soloing in a very high range where it can be heard over a traditional rhythm section, and often playing it on a much smaller horn. Personally, I think that the tuba’s big, fat, round, heavy, low, consuming, pounding, wonderful, flowing sound is its BEST asset and is the exact and specific thing that makes us unique. It has sonic characteristics that
NO other instrument possesses. I feel that playing everything higher and/or on a smaller instrument is too much of a sacrifice for me. I love huge sounds that vibrate your soul. I like to operate in a situation or setting where I can “let the tuba be the tuba”.
Choosing the right instrumentation and players are key. A standard jazz combo (bass, pno, drums) is NOT an ensemble that works for me. The bass gets in the way of the range I like to play in (and the range that I think the tuba sounds best in). When soloing/improvising I like to be in a situation where there is no other bass and I am in control of what happens in that range – so there is nothing to compete with!
It is all about creating something new. As tuba players we are at an EXTRAORDINARY place in time. Most people don’t really know what we
can do and I believe that they DO want to find out. The slate is clean!
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I'd like to get something together - like a Handel, Bach, Muddy Waters flamenco type of thing...if I could get that sound, I'd be happy.
-Jimi Hendrix
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Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny.
-Frank Zappa
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Dont play whats there, play whats not there.
Those people who say theres no music but bop are just stupid; it shows how much they dont know.
If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.
-Miles Davis
