Them Basses

[Slamson]

I’ll NEVER get tired of playing “Them Basses”, because it will always remind me of one of the more touching rewards I’ve gotten from playing.

When I came out to the Midwest for my first teaching gig I was playing in ANYTHING to help make ends meet, and would play a lot of freebies just to get my name out in the community – which is how I met my friend Eldon Herstein. Eldon was old. I mean OLD. If you look up “codger” in the encyclopedia, there’s his picture. For years he had had his own band with a lot of Lombardo-style charts and had played dance gigs at every VFW, Rotary, and you-name-it. By the time I had met him he had pretty much hung it up, except for playing his huge Martin Recording tuba in the local senior citizens band. I had been asked to sit in for a few gigs (I was only in my early 20s, but at least I had a beard…) because Eldon’s usual stand partner had had a heart attack.

When I got to our first gig, I introduced myself, and I was met with a “codgerly – like” response like “have a seat. Here’s the music.” We didn’t talk much, and pretty soon we got started playing the usual nostalgia stuff, and the occasional march. Eldon probably weighed 100 pounds soaking wet, so after every tune I’d see this thin, shaky hand reach out from behind the Martin to set up the next tune.

It went like that until we got to “Them Basses”. Like every other march we’d played, it took off at about dotted quarter = 80, and after the trumpet fanfare I dug into it like it was the last movement of Mahler 2. The conductor started moving up the tempo, and pretty soon the place was starting to rock pretty good. By the time we got to the “B” section, I glanced over at Eldon, who looked like he’d gone through a time warp. His pallid color had changed to a glowing red, and that Martin was starting to pump out some sound. His eyes, which had been covered by half of his lids during most of the gig up to then were sparkling and full of energy. He looked over at me, and then I saw “the wink”. By the trio the tempo was right up to snuff, and each one of those accented E-flats were tearing the paint off the walls.

When we finished, the conductor motioned for us to stand, and this octogenarian – plus character was on his feet before I could lay the horn in my lap. I got up, and he put his hand on my shoulder and said “thanks, son – that was great!”.

I played a few more gigs over the next year or two with Eldon, but eventually he had to be placed in a nursing home. One day, not too long before Eldon died it turned out that the senior citizens band was going to play there, so I volunteered to go out. There was Eldon, now in a wheelchair, and as we were talking he asked if he could sit back in the band during the concert. Of course we played “Them Basses”, and of course I wasn’t about to let down and old friend. When we finished, he grabbed my hand and said “now you remember – whenever you play “Them Basses”, think of me.”

This summer, like most summers, I played “Them Basses” with one of the local town bands. When I came in, the conductor looked at me like I’d plugged his baton into a wall socket. Little did he know that there were really two of us back there.

[iiipopes]

Great, great story. Thanks for sharing it.

[TubaRay]

Of course I'm an old geezer who remembers when bands actually marched and played marches at the same time - as opposed to the four bars of Maynard notes, followed by the xylophone intermezzo while the band marches sideways like a bunch of fiddler crabs bands perform today.

They did that?! How could that be? Just add this to the long list of things which support our claim for "progress." I just can't believe it's true.

[chipster55]

Of course I'm an old geezer who remembers when bands actually marched and played marches at the same time - as opposed to the four bars of Maynard notes, followed by the xylophone intermezzo while the band marches sideways like a bunch of fiddler crabs bands perform today.

They did that?! How could that be? Just add this to the long list of things which support our claim for "progress." I just can't believe it's true.

I'm just an old dinosaur: I still love to play "Them Basses". Our community band plays it every July 3rd at the Southlake fireworks show.

[Tuba-G Bass]

Wow! Thanks Terry for that great story!

That's one of the perks of being a musician, meeting people of different ages, backgrounds, etc
and working together to make music.

What ever happen to the Martin tuba after he retired? Love big ol' american BAT's,
my rehearsel horn is a satin silver Conn 24J.

[DonShirer]

This topic caught my eye because I just returned from an outdoor band concert where we played "Them Basses" (a little fireworks before the official fireworks). As my battery light was failing, I had to finish it from memory. As to its authorship, I was always told that Huffine wrote it, but part of the confusion might be because Fillmore made an arrangement of it (ca. 1932) as recorded in Paul Bierley's compendium of Fillmore's works.

[iiipopes]

Of course I'm an old geezer who remembers when bands actually marched and played marches at the same time - as opposed to the four bars of Maynard notes, followed by the xylophone intermezzo while the band marches sideways like a bunch of fiddler crabs bands perform today.

That's great! Well put...

Indeed. And add to that, except for the initial entrance pattern onto the the field with the school song and letter formation, we performed a completely different show at every home game save the last one, which the jazz band played the sidelines instead to get ready for basketball season.

Let's see: average 5 home games per season marching, times 4 years in school, and each person in band learned and performed at least twenty shows, and still won regional marching competitions, beating teams that had done nothing but one show crab stepping the entire season.

I do like that phrase: crab stepping. I'm going to have to find more ways of using that one.

[eupher61]

But, guys, this marching style is a way of bringing MORE music into marching bands! Just like DCI playing, it's SOOOO much more musical. You actually use dynamics, you know!
And the music makes it SO much easier to move inside after the marching season.
==================
Or so the arguments say.

Frankly, I think learning new music at least every 2 weeks made me a better musician, certainly a better reader, even though NOT a monster chops guy with world class sound.

[TubaRay]

And the music makes it SO much easier to move inside after the marching season.


Frankly, I think learning new music at least every 2 weeks made me a better musician, certainly a better reader, even though NOT a monster chops guy with world class sound.

I've gotta agree with these two parts of your post. Especially true is that it makes it easier to move inside. As a director, I couldn't wait for the marching season to be over. This lack of patience began with the first day of marching practices.

[eupher61]

Um, Ray, the part about being easier to move inside was intended to have much sarcasm dripping from it. I didn't use a smiley, but the phrase "so the arguments say" was intended to be a clue.

Every teacher I talk to says it's a lot MORE difficult to move inside now, because 1) the kids are on power mode, esp the brass and percussion sections, and they have to be tempered a LOT, and 2) the kids really haven't done much reading since the previous spring, during contest time. Learning the music for the show doesn't, to my contacts, seem to justify the term "reading", since they work on it for so long. I agree with that evaluation.

[kingrob76]

There are few things worse than having to play this march at around 125-130 because that is as fast as the majority of the band can handle. I've never understood why some music directors insist on doing circus marches and then doing them at a tempo that isn't even in the ballpark because the ensemble can't keep up. Last time I looked there wasn't a shortage of marches.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I've never understood why some music directors insist on doing circus marches and then doing them at a tempo that isn't even in the ballpark because the ensemble can't keep up.

Because the best music directors know their audience. Circus marches are fun to listen to...the average Joe likes them. Ma and Pa Kettle out in the crowd don't know or care that the tempo is supposed to be faster.

Sometimes, it's just about entertainment...more of us in the business need to try and remember that and lose some of our "high and mighty" musical ideals.

Todd S. "oh yeah, in my opinion" Malicoate

[kingrob76]

I've never understood why some music directors insist on doing circus marches and then doing them at a tempo that isn't even in the ballpark because the ensemble can't keep up.

Because the best music directors know their audience. Circus marches are fun to listen to...the average Joe likes them. Ma and Pa Kettle out in the crowd don't know or care that the tempo is supposed to be faster.

Sometimes, it's just about entertainment...more of us in the business need to try and remember that and lose some of our "high and mighty" musical ideals.

Todd S. "oh yeah, in my opinion" Malicoate

Composers have specific tempos, sounds, and colors in mind when the compose music, and while music directors should and do have the option to interpret the music they perform I think they also have an obligation to present a performance that is reasonably close to what the composer intended. I really don't think that's a "high and mighty" musical ideal. In my opinion.

[MaryAnn]

I vote for this as Best Thread of the Year!
MA

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Composers have specific tempos, sounds, and colors in mind when the compose music, and while music directors should and do have the option to interpret the music they perform I think they also have an obligation to present a performance that is reasonably close to what the composer intended. I really don't think that's a "high and mighty" musical ideal. In my opinion.

Honestly? In the context of circus marches?

I would agree if we're talking about a Brahms symphony (or, actually, a great many genres of music), but this is music composed for the express purpose of entertaining people while they watch out for elephant feces getting thrown out of the ring. Let the Ypsilanti community band play Barnum & Bailey's Favorite at quarter note = 144. I'll clap along with the crowd.

Todd S. "sheesh...I guess we'll agree to disagree on this one" Malicoate

[eupher61]

If you haven't heard the "Tribute to Merle Evans" from Dave Gannett yet, you MUST download it today. It's not new by any means, but mercy sakes that's some playing.
Except for one trombone who always seems to be a little bit behind...but, this is THE way to play circus music, from the king of circus bands (what--52 years with RBB&B??) from the golden age.

I agree, while it's a lot of fun to play "Circus Bee" in 1, it's certainly not very musical. Now, RODEO...that's a horse of a different color.

[TubaRay]

Hear me now, digest it, and believe me later...

And remember, "We're here to pump...you up!"