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Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 21:22:14 -0700
From: "Timothy J. Tikker" <timjt@awod.com>
Subject: Re: [Contra digest]
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
Frank Diaz wrote:>>As for Sidney Bechet and the Sarrusophone, Baines list "The Sheik of
Araby" as the other of SB's sarrusophone recording. I've never heard
this recording. I do have "Mandy, Make Up Your Mind", though. It's
neat !<<Wow, that's not at all the title I remember as being the second Sarrusophone tune on
that CBS album! Could there actually be a third bechet tune?!- Timothy Tikker
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 20:56:14 +0000
From: Bob Thomas <thomas@usit.net>
Subject: Re: Barcus Berry pickups
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
Merlin Williams wrote:>If anyone is looking for amplification, I found a place
>near me that bought up a pile of Barcus Berry transducers.
>The store is blowing them out for $25 (Canadian!) each.
>
>The reason I'm bothering to mention this is: they had
>SEVERAL bass flute pickups, a few bassoon ones, and
>quite a few clarinet/sax reed pickups.
>
>This would be a very cheap way to try amplifying your
>horn...I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with
either the flute or reed pick ups from Barcus
Berry. I'm assuming they've been out of production
for a while.
I suppose a "natural" sound would be too much to
ask for, but is the sound of the pick up odd and
interesting, bizarre and interesting, or just
grotesque?
Any opinions regarding how well the reed pick ups
would work on contra size horns?
thx,
b.---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 22:58:50 -0400
From: Robert Howe <arehow@vgernet.net>
Subject: Re: [Contra digest]
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
Frank Diaz wrote:>......It was definitely Joseph Holbrooke who wrote "Apollo and
> Seaman".Told ya' so.
> Holbrooke wrote for (at least) 3 oboes, 1 English
> Horn, 1 Eb Clarinet, 2 Bb Clarinets, 1 F Alto Clarinet (not listed as
> Basset Horn),The F alto clarinet was a valid instrument in turn of the century
England. It has a wider bore than a bassetto and a range to low E,
rather than the low C of the bassetto; they are indeed different
instruments, which were made simultaneously. I have one by E J Albert
from about 1900 which plays wonderfully using an Eb alto clarinet
mouthpiece.Who can name another piece written for an ensemble that includes this
instrument? (Answer in my next Email).Anyway, I really write about the Bechet "Shiek of Araby". Bechet
recorded that--all by himself--in 1943, using an analog recorder,
playing back, adding another track. The scoring, if I recall
correctly, is tenor Sax (the very first track laid down, and thus the
most distorted by multiple acoustic re-recordings; it could indeed just
as well be a tenor Sarrusophone, or Rothophone, or anything), clarinet
(not soprano Sax!), piano, bass and drums. This is the first known
sound-on-sound recording to be released. It is still available on Blue
Note, they have two Bechet collections (one three and one one disc) that
include it. It is wonderful.Robert Howe
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 23:12:57 -0400
From: Robert Howe <arehow@vgernet.net>
Subject: Re: Sarrusophone on EBay
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comThe EEb CB Sarrusophone on EBay looks nice. It may be high pitch, so be
careful if you bid on it. These were used extensively in the French
military at A452, and it is an Evette Schaeffer, and they were in fact
"Fornisseurs a l'Armee"; a word to the wise! High pitch (A452)
instruments are about 3% smaller than low pitch (then A435, now A440)
and thus a high pitch CBSarrus would be noticably lighter to carry.For what it is worth, I did a price analysis for these puppies a few
years back. I paid $3500 and $1700 for mine; other sales recorded in
the 1990s were in the $2000-3000 range. THis fellow is on Ebay so he is
probably looking for the sun and the moon.These play better with a double reed, which you can get from Vandoren
for $64 retail.Robert Howe
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 23:25:47 -0400
From: Dave Robinson <jazzteachr@sysnet.net>
Subject: Re: Bechet
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
Okay, time to set the record straight.Bechet's "Mandy" (Clarence Williams' Blue Five, 12/17/24) WAS done on
contrabass sarrusophone. There's no question. Doesn't sound anything
like a bass sax, or anything else. In '96 my brother Scott recorded a
new version of this tune for his Arbors Jazz CD "Thinking Big", with
yours truly on cornet, and Scott used a contrabass sarrusophone. Get
the CD and compare the solo with Bechet's; same instrument.This is the ONLY tune Bechet ever recorded on contrabass sarrusophone.
He used only soprano on the other three tunes from this session."Sheik of Araby" was done 4/18/41 by "Sidney Bechet's One-Man Band".
It's an early instance of overdubbing, in which Bechet plays clarinet,
soprano, tenor, piano, bass, and drums. No sarrusophone!However: It's a little-known fact that Bechet DID record on bass sax!
He doesn't solo on it (unfortunately!), but he can be heard doubling on
it in certain ensemble passages from the 2/24/31 and 4/21/31 sessions by
Noble Sissle and his Orchestra.Bassaxophonically,
Dave Robinson
Timothy J. Tikker wrote:
> Frank Diaz wrote:
> >>As for Sidney Bechet and the Sarrusophone, Baines list "The Sheik of
> Araby" as the other of SB's sarrusophone recording. I've never heard
> this recording. I do have "Mandy, Make Up Your Mind", though. It's
> neat !<<
> Wow, that's not at all the title I remember as being the second Sarrusophone tune on
> that CBS album! Could there actually be a third bechet tune?!
>
> - Timothy Tikker
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 11:09:17 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: new sarrusophone
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com>Does anyone know what a new sarrusophone of any size from Orsi would cost?
>Grant,Is there any chance that you might be able to post a recording of your
>tenor sarrusophone or give some details about it?
>Thanks,
>Bret NewtonI do plan to post a sound clip eventually - just too much else to do at the moment.
As for Orsi prices, I think the list price on my tenor was about US$8K when
I bought it. As I recall, the prices for the larger instruments went up
from there: I think the list price on the reed contrabass was around
US$30K. Of course, there's usually some room to negotiate down from the
list price...Grant
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green gdgreen@contrabass.com
http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 11:13:52 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: Sarrusophone on EBay
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com>These play better with a double reed, which you can get from Vandoren
>for $64 retail.
...Or from Keith Loraine, considerably less expensive...Grant
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green gdgreen@contrabass.com
http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 14:21:28 -0400
From: FranÚois Villon <feodor@informaxinc.com>
Subject: Re: new sarrusophone
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
Grant Green wrote:
> >Does anyone know what a new sarrusophone of any size from Orsi would cost?
> >Grant,Is there any chance that you might be able to post a recording of your
> >tenor sarrusophone or give some details about it?
> >Thanks,
> >Bret Newton
>
> I do plan to post a sound clip eventually - just too much else to do at the
> moment.
>
> As for Orsi prices, I think the list price on my tenor was about US$8K when
> I bought it. As I recall, the prices for the larger instruments went up
> from there: I think the list price on the reed contrabass was around
> US$30K. Of course, there's usually some room to negotiate down from the
> list price...Do they make high sarrusophones like sopranos or altos? Do they issue a
price list/catalogue? Who makes your tenor reeds?Feodor
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 11:36:59 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: new sarrusophone
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com>Do they make high sarrusophones like sopranos or altos? Do they issue a
>price list/catalogue? Who makes your tenor reeds?Yes, soprano through contrabass. I think one of the subscribers has an
Orsi soprano, in fact. They very well might have a price list: you can
always contact them directly.As for tenor reeds, two came with the horn. They've been shaved a little
to play better, but so far I haven't had to buy new ones. KL makes reeds
for *anything*, although for some horns you need to lend him the horn so
that he can make sure it fits and works. Not a problem for me, as we live
close enough together that I can swing by every now and then.Grant
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green gdgreen@contrabass.com
http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 15:43:35 -0400
From: FranÚois Villon <feodor@informaxinc.com>
Subject: Re: new sarrusophone
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
Grant Green wrote:
> >Do they make high sarrusophones like sopranos or altos? Do they issue a
> >price list/catalogue? Who makes your tenor reeds?
>
> Yes, soprano through contrabass. I think one of the subscribers has an
> Orsi soprano, in fact. They very well might have a price list: you can
> always contact them directly.Do you have their address/e-mail/fax number? Do they have a web page? I
failed to find it...Feodor
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 14:06:39 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: new Orsi
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com>Do you have their address/e-mail/fax number? Do they have a web page? I
>failed to find it...As far as I can tell, they do not yet have a web page or email address.
However, you can still contact them the old-fashioned ways:Ermenegildo Perin
General Manager
Prof. Romeo Orsi Musicale Strumenti
Via B. Buozzi
20094 Buccinasco-Milan
Italy
Work: +39-2-48843860
Fax: +39-2-48843874Enjoy!
Grant
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green gdgreen@contrabass.com
http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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