Contrabass Digest

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1999-04-17

 
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 15:40:27 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: CD Review
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
A couple of recent CDs:
 


Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                    http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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From: DGross1226@aol.com
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 20:37:30 EDT
Subject: Re: Contrabassaholics Anonymous...
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

In a message dated 99-04-16 18:23:54 EDT, Grant writes:
<<...made its concert debut last Friday, at the American Conference of Bands concert in Salinas, CA.>>

Grant,

While we're plugging our bands, check out the Claremont (California)
Symphonic Winds at:

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~dooley/csw.html

On March 27 we were the invited community wind ensemble at the California
Music Educators Association state-wide conference in Ontario -- so there!
The only bad part of the gig is that we followed the California state honors
band which had 100+ musicians.  Boy, did the audience shrink.

With regard to Contrabassaholics Anonymous, while we might not have a bass
surrusophone, the CSW actually has a bass clarinet SECTION.  Between the
three of us we own: (2) BBb contrabass clarinets (one straight Leblanc to low
Eb and one paperclip Leblanc to low C); (3) EEb contra altos (one Vito and
one Bundy to low Eb, and one Leblanc paperclip all low C); (5) Bb bass
clarinets (two Selmer Paris Model 37s to low C, one 1950s Selmer Paris to low
Eb, one Vito to low Eb, and one Amati to low C (I now own the horn that
Arthur Benade bought new in Kraslice to use in his acoustical research which
seems to be a copy of the earlier Kohlert horns).

The "crazy" in the group just bought a new Buffet Prestige low C basset horn
in F and is pushing the other two of us to buy one so that we can play the
great Mozart Divertimenti for three basset horns.  Who says that playing the
contras doesn't do serious brain damage.

Don Gross
La Canada, California

p.s.  The "other" two member of the bass clarinet section actually also own
their own alto clarinets, but that's where I drew the line.

p.p.s.  Grant, your "new" Buescher contra alto sure looks like my Selmer
Bundy horn.  Was it also made by Selmer?

p.p.s.  One final question:  The Altieri gig bag looks like they wrapped your
two horns in a sleeping bag and tied it with Velcro.  Can you elaborate some
more on the construction and how one might contact them for custom work?  I'd
like a case for my A, Bb, and C soprano horns which no one seems to make.
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:03:05 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: Contrabassaholics Anonymous...
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

>On March 27 we were the invited community wind ensemble at the California
>Music Educators Association state-wide conference in Ontario -- so there!
>The only bad part of the gig is that we followed the California state honors
>band which had 100+ musicians.  Boy, did the audience shrink.

Hey, congratulations!  I've encountered the "shrinking audience" problem
too.  We typically play one concert a year jointly with Lynbrook HS
orchestra (some of our wind players often sit in for their concert), and
about half the audience gets up with the orchestra and doesn't come back...

>With regard to Contrabassaholics Anonymous, while we might not have a bass
>surrusophone, the CSW actually has a bass clarinet SECTION.  Between the

Our low clarinet section is two alto players (yes, they own their own
altos), two bass players, and me batting cleanup.  The two alto players
double soprano when they don't have anything else to do, and I know that
the bass players have a variety of saxophones between them (although they
play strictly bass in the SJWS).  AFAIK, none of us has a basset horn.  At
least, not yet....

>The "crazy" in the group just bought a new Buffet Prestige low C basset horn
>in F and is pushing the other two of us to buy one so that we can play the
>great Mozart Divertimenti for three basset horns.  Who says that playing the
>contras doesn't do serious brain damage.

Those are *wonderful* works!  I have a few CDs with different performances
of the basset horn trios, and play them frequently.

Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                    http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:19:26 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: Contrabassaholics Anonymous...
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

>p.p.s.  Grant, your "new" Buescher contra alto sure looks like my Selmer
>Bundy horn.  Was it also made by Selmer?

Could be.  Actually, I'd be surprised if Buescher had made its own low
clarinets: I suspect they're all stencils. FWIW, I use a Selmer C*
(sometimes C**) contralto mpc on it.

>p.p.s.  One final question:  The Altieri gig bag looks like they wrapped your
>two horns in a sleeping bag and tied it with Velcro.  Can you elaborate some
>more on the construction and how one might contact them for custom work?  I'd
>like a case for my A, Bb, and C soprano horns which no one seems to make.

It *is* well padded.  There is a rigid element in there somewhere, covered
with padding.  The dividers (the padding that wraps around the horns) is
attached to the bottom of the bag, and the ends are adjustable with velcro.
The straps crossing the horns are actually web belts with plastic buckles.
The black rectangle on the lid is actually two zippered pockets, one of
which I use for the contralto neck (its easier to put the two mpcs in the
gaps between the contralto bell and the top of the Bb contra).  That padded
panel flips down, and attaches to the bass with more web straps/buckles.
The outer bag zips all the way around, and has a large zippered pocket on
the outside (which is where I keep boxes of reeds and the neckstrap), with
a velcro'd pocket inside it (where I keep my current "working" reeds).  On
the other side of the bag, it has a pair of "backpack" type straps, so that
I could wear the thing vertically like a <very tall> backpack.  More
convenient is the single shoulder strap.  With both horns in it, it is not
light ;-)  On the other hand, it doesn't weigh much more than a bari sax in
a hard-shell case...

I'm sure they'd be only too happy to make you a triple gig bag.  AFAIK,
they don't make rigid cases, but they'll make a decent bag to protect
*anything*.  So far, they've made gig bags for my contrabass sarrusophone,
reed contrabass, and contrabass trumpet, a case cover for the contrabass
clarinet (makes it much easier to carry), and they routinely make bags for
contrabassoons and tubas of any size.  They have a web site at
http://www.altieribags.com, or you can telephone directly at 303-291-0658.
They may be able adapt an existing design for you, or they may ask you to
trace all the parts (just for the C, I'd think).

Enjoy!

Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                    http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------

From: Ranchu242@aol.com
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 21:23:28 EDT
Subject: Re: Contrabassaholics Anonymous...
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

In a message dated 4/16/99 8:19:50 PM Central Daylight Time, gdgreen@contrabass.com writes:

<< >The "crazy" in the group just bought a new Buffet Prestige low C basset horn
 >in F and is pushing the other two of us to buy one so that we can play the
 >great Mozart Divertimenti for three basset horns.  Who says that playing the
 >contras doesn't do serious brain damage.
 
 Those are *wonderful* works!  I have a few CDs with different performances
 of the basset horn trios, and play them frequently.
 
 Grant >>

I want to know where i can hear a recording of those trios!  they sound great!
 
roger
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:57:37 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re:  Mozart Divertimenti
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
 

>I want to know where i can hear a recording of those trios!  they sound great!
>roger

The one I listen to most often is "Mozart, 5 Divertimenti for 3
basset-horns", (1996, SteepleChase Productions ApS, Kontrapunkt 32225),
with the clarinet section of the Odense Symphony Orchestra (John Kruse,
Ren=E9 H=F8jlund, and Kenneth Larsen).  I have at least one other, which is
lurking somewhere at home.  Sabine Meyer?  Your best bet is probably to
browse through Tower Records, looking under "Mozart, Divertimentos".

Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                    http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


 
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