Posts made by GeorgeB

Even though there are no known cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, it is just a matter of time and I have decided to drop out of my community band until further notice. I am 83 and in good health and feel I could deal with an infection, but my 86 year old sister broke her hip and had to have surgery 2 weeks ago. She has a lot of post surgery health problems, including a lung infection. I spend a lot of time with her and help her with things she can't do herself and I would be devastated if I was responsible for infecting her with the COVID-19 virus. I really don't think she could survive an infection right now. So I am sort of semi-isolating myself until this virus thing runs its course. I am going to miss playing with my band mates but I don't feel I have any choice in the matter.

@OldSchoolEuph said in [Vintage Horn Eye Candy](/post/9938

Is that a French bead? or is it just the camera lens making that rim look semi-flat?

I was wondering that, too as it looks similar to the bells on my Selmers.

@aTrumpetdude
Wow, that horn looks fantastic, and it's 10 years older than me, too...
The mouthpiece has me curious, too.

My Conn Victor 5A Cornet. Large bore. Great player.

My 1952 Selmer Paris-- still my favorite

@BigDub
There is little doubt in my mind that your great grandfather's work has been an influence on yours, Wayne, and not just because you have been looking at his paintings, but because I have strong beliefs about how we inherit things from our ancestors.

@Kehaulani

Yeah, Miles was in a different league. I was more into the big bands, louis and Dixieland style jazz while I was playing back then, but after I stopped in 1965 I became interested, as a listener, in jazz players like Miles and Chet. And I would say that no one was further away from the Harry James exaggerated vibrato style of playing than Miles.

@Kehaulani said in Anyone remember JOHNNY ZELL:

@GeorgeB said in Anyone remember JOHNNY ZELL:

@grune

Yes, I did my playing between 1953 and 1965 and in the 50s the Selmer Paris horn was a big favorite of the pro players like Louis Armstrong, Harry James and Ray Anthony . .

Ah yes, Swingin' at the Tower.

I remember a contemporaneous article in downbeat by Ira Gitler where he referred to a special being as a "rayanthony" (one word), to be used synonymously with "copycat". Ouch.

Gosh, who wasn't a copycat in that era. All the trumpet guys wanted to sound like Harry James, including myself. But I was a kid and didn't know better. Strangely enough, though, not many wanted or even tried to copy Louis Armstrong's staccato style of playing.

@grune

Yes, I did my playing between 1953 and 1965 and in the 50s the Selmer Paris horn was a big favorite of the pro players like Louis Armstrong, Harry James and Ray Anthony to name a few. I played a Constellation 28B and got to play a Selmer Paris as a loan when I was having some work done on the Conn. I really liked the Selmer and wished I could afford to buy one, but one horn was all I could afford in those days. Now I own two Selmers...

I recall seeing at least one Welk episode where Pete Fountain was playing but I never saw one with Hirt.

@grune said in Anyone remember JOHNNY ZELL:

idle curiosity: anybody know which brand of horn Zell used at the

I had the same curiosity and after a little research I discovered he played A French Besson Meha. He sure made that horn sound rich and sweet.

www.welkshow.com/johnny-zell.html

By the way, this link about Welk's performers is quite interesting. I didn't realize that both Pete Fountain and Al Hirt got their start playing for Welk.

@Kehaulani said in Anyone remember JOHNNY ZELL:

. . if you like that evangelical look.

I think she looks more angelic than evangelic...in a kind of sexy way.

@grune ANACANI

Oh, yes, the little Mexican beauty. I love watching her.

Re: Johnny Zell:

After Welk he became a born again Christian and played in a lot of gospel concerts. Today he is the pastor of The Church Of New Beginnings. He is in his early seventies.

The Welk show is on PBS every Saturday night in my area. The shows are from varied years but always fun to watch. Hell it is the only big band stuff on tv in my neck of the woods. A little corny at times, but always lots of good music. And it seems Lawrence had an eye for beauty because most of the gals are drop dead gorgeous...and talented.

Johnny played lead trumpet with The Lawrence Welk orchestra for most of the 70s and 80s. I always admired Welk's disciplined musicians, but felt he overlooked the brass section to often when it came to solos, and the trumpet section in particular. But now and then Welk would give a solo to Johnny Zell, a trumpet player I truly admired. Here are a couple of videos of him, first soloing on the Frank Sinatra hit, This Love Of Mine and playing some Dixie with Peanuts Hucko on Clarinet, and Bob Havens on Trombone on Muskrat Ramble. There are many other good videos of Zell on YouTube.

Wayne is a very clever artist and does these little things on purpose to make you wonder what is going on in his works of art...

@ROWUK said in Fast Tempo and old farts:

@GeorgeB For things at the limit of what I can play (recently 1st trumpet in the orchestra version of Rimsky-Korsakovs Scheherezade), my standard take is to completely memorize the difficult licks. Once I have freed up my eyes, they do not slow my fingers or tongue down any more!

This thing about memorizing difficult licks worked for me on Liberty Bell and now I am using it effectively for other pieces as well. Thanks for that tip, Rowuk.

@Kehaulani said in Introducing Lis Sorensen:

First discovered her on a tour of northern Denmark at a time of the year when the sun never sets. Laying on the bed back in my room at 2:00 in the morning after a night of playing and partying and walking through grassland to get back. Nothing like it. (What am I doing here?!)

You've lived an interesting life, Kehaulani.

Quite a voice.

@Kehaulani

Who the heck is Lobster Jimmy ?

@Kehaulani

I could never memorize large portions of Liberty Bell but I could the shorter passages that were giving me trouble. But you'll note I said "were giving me trouble " . I actually surprised myself in how well I was doing last night.