For Your Ears Only

John's lecture today about professional brass ensembles, in addition to opening the door for a new collection of Rolf anecdotes, reminded me of an excellent candidate for my blog: Proteus 7.

Proteus 7 is a septet consisting of two trumpets, two trombones, tuba, a woodwind multi-instrumentalist, and a percussionist. To understand just what sort of band Proteus 7 is, we should examine their name. Proteus, for those unfamiliar with Greek mythology, is the sea - not the god of the sea (Poseidon) but an incarnation of the sea itself (the counterpart to Gaia, the earth). Just as the sea is constantly churning and re-ordering itself, Proteus was a tremendous shape-shifter. The ensemble that now bears his name is similarly a shape-shifter. Proteus 7 play a great deal of custom arrangements from a variety of musical styles. Their recorded oeuvre includes spy themes, Latin standards, the greatest works of Bernstein, and established classical works.

I can't find any of their live performances to include here, but feel free to peruse their website.

Seis Pies Abajo

La cultura de latón no ha limitado al mundo íngleshablante. En Mexico, bandas, como mi favorito Banda El Recodo, están como las estrellas de pop están en los Estados Unidos. Es común para cantates populares a tocar o grabar con bandas, especialmente si los canciones son románticos. Típicamente, bandas tienen trompetas, trombones, clarinetas, cornos altos, una tuba y una baterista. En Mexico, la tuba se llamo bajo, como la palabra bass en ingles. Para mis oidos, Banda El Recodo tiene el mejor bajo en todo el estilo. Aquí hay un vídeo de Banda El Recodo con el cancion Parece Mentira. ¡Espero que le gusta!

Lo siento para algunos errores en mi español. Mi facilidad ha se deterió sin oportunidades para practicar.

High Storm Cannons

For those of you who doubt the influence of Drums and Tuba, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the world's foremost Drums and Tuba tribute band, Triple Architecture Mind Party. TAMP, as insiders call the Boston-based group, is composed of guitarist/composer Tim Pence, drummer Shawn Hennessey, and tubist Jobey Wilson.

Concert Poster

Oh How I'll Ramble

The Olympia Brass Band, so named for New Orleans' Olympia Street where the group first began performing, is synonymous with the street style of New Orleans brass playing. Also, with left-handed sousaphone playing.

The city of New Orleans has numerous musical traditions that incorporate brass playing (I'll detail others later in the semester) and street playing stands out as a style that has not been intellectualized. Standard repertoire includes spirituals, hymns, marches, funeral dirges (!) and other colloquial (dare I say folk) music that is part of the aural collective. Aesthetically, the music defies the Western fixation on tone (blending isn't really an area of concern) and incorporates primitive jazz rhythms and energetic zeal.

Famous tubists who have played in the Olympia Band include Allan Jaffe (expect him and his son to reappear in a post about Dixieland) and Tuba Fats Lacen (he'll be back in the funk section). Here's a video of the group playing a dirge in "Live and Let Die" alongside Bond. James Bond.

Darn that Dream

They were known as the Miles Davis Band, the Miles Davis Nonet, and even (rather humorously) as the Miles Davis Tuba Band, but this short-lived (1949-1950) collaboration of jazz giants is best known by the name of their sole, groundbreaking album: Birth of the Cool.

BOTC is a musical milestone for many reasons. First and foremost, the group is generally credited by music historians as spawning the cool (or West Coast) jazz movement - a reaction to and retooling of bebop. Additionally, the band was also a true supergroup. Besides Davis, BOTC's roster included (among others) Max Roach, John Lewis, Lee Konitz, and Gerry Mulligan. Although they never performed at any of the band's live engagements, notable brass players JJ Johnson, Kai Winding, and Gunther Schuller all contributed to recording sessions that eventually led to the album.

The group's instrumentation (trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, piano, bass, and drums) was a heretofore unexplored combination. Davis, Mulligan, and tubist Bill Barber, have all said to some extent that the intention of the group was to assemble three pairings of horns that were treble and bass equivalents of each other backed by a traditional rhythm section. While this effect is audible, scores of the original pieces composed for the group (including titles by Mulligan, Lewis, and erstwhile tuba enthusiast Gil Evans) do not visually indicate those relationships.

The tuba, while not necessarily a 'lead' instrument in BOTC arrangements, participates as a full-fledged member of the horn section, playing complex rhythmic figures, melodic ideas, and vital independent harmonies. In short, the tuba was treated as an equal of the other instruments and Bill Barber's capabilities shined (Barber also played on John Coltrane's big band album Africa).

Oompahs be damned.

Four Notes of April

For the uninitiated, Drums and Tuba was a progressive rock trio consisting of tubist Brian Wolff, drummer Tony Nozero, and guitarist Neal McKeeby. Before disbanding in 2007, the group toured frantically and recorded eight albums that incorporated jazz, electronica, and industrial music into both improvisation-heavy jams and meticulous arrangements. While each musician pushed the limits of his instrument, Brian Wolff (who now performs as a solo act) shattered what he calls "the brass ceiling" by using pedal effects and extended techniques to redefine the tuba's capabilities and bring tuba music to a whole new audience. You can hear them play Magoo.

Photo from Drums and Tuba press kit.