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Old September-1st-2005, 11:00 AM   #1
Coda
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Uncommon Instruments

Is this a tuba or a trombone?

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Old September-1st-2005, 12:37 PM   #2
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Obviously a trombone. The guy is French and had 2 bottles of wine for lunch and see what happened on his way to the concert. These things happens all the time with the French. Their excuse is that they do things their own way.
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Old January-3rd-2006, 03:18 PM   #3
jake
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Unusual instruments in jazz

Ken McIntyre used to play oboe and bassoon, Karen Borca also plays bassoon, Rahsaan had his famous stritch and manzello, Dave Holland his cello and Alice Coltrane her harp.
Any other players you can think of who use(d) instruments not usually associated with jazz?
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Old January-3rd-2006, 03:27 PM   #4
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Last edited by rollhead; January-3rd-2006 at 03:29 PM.
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Old January-3rd-2006, 03:39 PM   #5
Squaredancecalling Steve
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Jazzcorner's Speakeasy Archive >> The Top 10 > Top Ten Oddest Instrumentations
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Squaredancecaller



Odd Times -- Rabih Abou-Khalil: oud/ harmonica/ tuba/ drums/ frame drums/ serpent(?)

The Classic Guide To Strategy -- John Zorn: duck calls/ (???)

02-03-2001 06:50 PM *
Hat and Beard


Joey Baron--elephant balls (??!!) on the second JMT album recorded by Miniature, with Hank Roberts and Tim Berne.

02-03-2001 08:47 PM *
sweet


Sketches was pretty hardcore too

02-19-2001 02:19 PM *
BlueMiles


Sun Ra on mini-moog synthesizer. The notes to "My Brother the Wind" describe it so well: "the sounds of white noise, meteor showers, NASA test patterns, even a dishwater on the fritz."


02-19-2001 09:26 PM *
Dave Zoller


Dave Douglas - both the Charms Of The Night Sky Band (trumpet, accordian, violin, bass) and the Tiny Bell Trio
(trumpet, guitar, drums).

Paul Motian's Trio with Bill Frisell (guitar) and Joe Lovano (saxes)

The Jimmy Giuffre 3 of 1958; an unorthodox threesome with
Giuffre (clarinet, tenor & baritone saxes); Bob Brookmeyer, valve trombone & piano; and Jim Hall, guitar.

Was it just a coincidence that three of these odd-ball trios
had one instrument (guitar) in common?

Then, of course, there was the Clusone 3 - a band I have yet to hear on CD (I understand they have disbanded): drums, reeds & cello.

Also, I have one CD with Anthony Braxton, Evan Parker & Paul
Rutherford live in London. Two saxes and trombone, no rhythm instruments at all. For the most part, they make mostly non-pitched sounds - and it works! One of the oddest records I've ever heard...

02-21-2001 12:41 AM *
Pete C


I believe they are to be found on pages 123-137 of the Kama Sutra.

02-21-2001 07:25 PM *
frankiepop


u gotta get out more. Captain.

2 favorites:
the kazoo on braxton's '3 comps new jazz'


& zorn's string 4tetw/turntable
found on a kronos cd.

02-21-2001 09:46 PM *
Omar Zamora


Howzabout CoDoNa

Colin Walcott on sitar and tabla
Don Cherry on trumpet (and piano, I think)
Nana Vasconcelos on Percussion

Or Iskra 1903
Rutherford on bone
Guy on Bass
Bailey on guitar (or Evan Parker on tenor in later recordings)

02-22-2001 12:05 AM *
Squaredancecaller


I find I have a very strong natural affinity for everything Codona recorded.
Taking all three Codona albums in account, here's what they played:

Colin Walcott: sitar, tabla, hammered dulcimer, sanza (?), voice, timpani

Don Cherry: trumpet, flutes, doussn'gouri, voice, melodica, organ

Nana Vasconcelos: berimbau, cuica, percussion, voice, talking drum



Anybody heard the album 'Tubas From Hell' -- an all tuba ensemble? I've been tempted...

02-22-2001 03:48 AM *
djpens


karoke rap hip hop polka
piccalo and tambourines with mc coy tiner
and toots on harmonica
sounds of the whales all the very very fat
players doing sousa sets
the more serious bands are the granny bands on the floats in the popeye parade
for wierd instrumentation
mummers straight ahead
kenny g with the guy lombardo orchestra
alyways did like the aliens band in star wars
and the band in clints dollars
bill on tenor monica on vocals hill on triangle
steel drum bands period
how about steel drum meets the bell choir of st pauls cathedral
doing regaae christmas carols that really swing
pavoritti singing the thrill is gone
jimmy smith sitting in with the chieftans
and i had this friend from korea ........
we got booked in branson
now on a return engagement from _____________
rubber baloon slide whistle choo choo
chimes saw static generator
jack hammer chain saw
steel pipe sledge hammer hitting volvos
dripping faucet
the guys from mash playing spoons
wierd instruments ??? i heard that hannibal guy wants to join the band ---whats he play ??
i dunno but he sure knows where to eat

02-22-2001 07:19 AM *
Brian Olewnick



No, but Howard Johnson used to have an all-tuba band (about eight memebers) called Gravity; they even appeared on Saturday Night Live once.

And Braxton, of course, wrote a piece for 100 tubas.

02-22-2001 12:44 PM *
Pete C


Gravity (the band) still exists.

A co-worker used to have a poster in her cubicle. It wasn't for Howard J's band, but I loved the slogan:

"Gravity: It's not just a good idea--it's the law!"

02-22-2001 03:46 PM *
aristide


arto lindsay, PRIZE (1999)
davi moraes: timbal, caixas, surdos, pandeiro, el.guitar
arto lindsay: vocals, guitar
melvin gibbs: bass, keyboards,programming, filters
andres levin: ac. guitar, keyboards, rhythms 700, stylophone, pandeiro
skoota warner: drums

colin walcott, GRAZING DREAMS (1977)
colin walcott: sitar, tabla
john abercrombie: el. and ac. guitars, el. mandolin
don cherry: trumpet, wood flute, doussin' gouni
palle danielsson: bass
dom um romao: berimbau, chica, tambourine, percussion

02-26-2001 08:43 AM *
Uli


Not really odd cause they couldn't play it the same way in any other instrumentation - but may be unusual

Douglas Ewart, (B) Natural Ewartophone
Malachi Favors Maghostut, Double Bass and Thunder Sheet
Mata Bowden, E Flat Sopranino Clarinet
Don Byron, B Flat Soprano and Bass Clarinets
J.D. Parran, E Flat Alto Clarinet
Henry Threadgill, B Flat Soprano Clarinet
Edward Wilkeron Jr. B Flat Soprano Clarinet


Are there clarinets for every occasions?

02-26-2001 09:33 AM *
David Gitin


At Monterey Jazz Festival,Sunday, September 20, 1987: Ron McCroby, puccolo (whistling); Ray Pizzi, bassoon; Toots Theilemans,harmonica; Bobby McFerrin, vocal (simulating bass). "Together."

02-26-2001 09:47 AM *
Cuddles


My favorite is BassDrumBone with Mark Helias, Gerry Hemingway, and Ray Anderson, respectively.

03-20-2001 02:29 AM *
Erik Lund


Mike Pride - "Brookie's Birdies" - Irish whistle, duck call, voice, "whistling hand shit"

03-20-2001 02:42 PM *
Scott Yanow


World's worst trio:

Bagpipes, accordion and sitar!

Hasn't happened, and it shouldn't!

03-25-2001 03:38 AM *
aristide


baritonesaxophone (david mott) and accordion (joseph petric)has happened and should happen again

03-25-2001 12:34 PM *
Reinaldo


About the puccolo. I always wanted to know: is this a new word for whistling? Ron McCroby created it? By the way, his two recordings are very very good.It's not just a novelty act.Is he still at work? And this Monterey Festival thing, was recordered? And about the odd instrumentation, I remember that ,here in Brazil, we have Hermeto Pascoal,who uses ( besides the usual flutes,reeds and piano) kettles full of water and live pigs.

04-01-2001 12:19 PM *
bostontricky


John Zorn's "Music for Lulu" and "More Music for Lulu", (borrowing Jimmy Giuffre's format) with Zorn (sax), George Lewis (trombone) and Bill Frisell (guitar)...

The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet album has some unusual instrumentation on a few tracks: a quartet of clarinet, oboe, english horn and bassoon comes to mind; also something like clarinet with alto and bass clarinets; clarinet with flute, alto and bass flutes and drums; Giuffre solo clarinet and foot-tapping (left or right foot not specified).

Axel Dorner's "Claque" (on Meniscus) lists Dorner on trumpet; Fred Lonborg-Holm on 'cello and "hose segment", and Michael Zerang on multiple percussion and "tubaphone".

And probably the strangest of all: a 1964 Maynard Ferguson album with a track scored for:

trumpet
bass
percussion

- and -

celeste (?!)

04-14-2002 04:57 PM *
Pete C


alto sax/flute
acoustic guitar
oud
tuba
cello
drums

Henry Threadgill's Zooid

04-14-2002 07:19 PM *
Omar Zamora


Voice Crack (Norbert Moslang and Andy Guhl) playing cracked everyday electronics.

do - Sashiko M playing test tones from a sampler
Toshimaru Nakamura playing no-input mixing board

04-15-2002 04:47 AM *
Communicator 3


Henry Threadgill's Hubkaphone with anything.
Bill Summers' Waterfilledtrashcan.

04-15-2002 10:40 AM *
JBW


Bill Frisell - Quartet

Bill Frisell - Guitar (acoustic + electric)
Ron Miles - Trumpet,Piccolo
Curtis Fowlkes - Trombone
Eyvin Kang - Tuba, Violin

06-04-2002 03:31 AM *
SinginSumo


Rufus Harley on bagpipes never quite did it for me.

Anything by Harry Partch.

Any music that includes a theremin. (Does anyone remember Lothar and the Hand People?)

06-04-2002 11:42 PM *
Squaredancecaller



SinginSumo: I saw Lothar and the Hand People at The Avalon many times! Very cool group.

I was kinda disappointed in 'The Art Of The Theramin' album, however. I heard the great story of the theramin's virtuoso, Clara Rockmore, on the radio and was fascinated. But the music itself is uninteresting, formalistic renditions of lighter classical pieces.

Lothar, on the other Hands, was never formalistic, and seemed to be exploring new ground with the instrument. Somebody must have explored the instrument further; I just don't know who.

06-06-2002 11:44 AM *
Squaredancecaller


Henry Threadgill's name is popping up often on this list! Yesterday I picked up his "Makin' A Move," which includes

four cuts by his Very Very Circus ensemble: alto + French horn + 2 electric guitars + 2 tubas + drums.

and each of the other three cuts have unique groups --

Noisy Flowers: piano (Myra Melford) + nylon string soprano guitar + steel string soprano guitar (James Emery) + steel string acoustic guitar + classical guitar

Refined Poverty: alto + 3 cellos

The Mockingbird Sin: 2 electric guitars + 3 cellos

06-15-2002 11:40 AM *
bostontricky


Marty Ehrlich's "Emergency Peace" is largely trio:

Ehrlich on reeds or flute
cello
bass

Pinguin Moschner (tuba) was involved in a collaborative effort that was heavily tipped to the low end of the audible spectrum. I'll have to look.

Howard Johnson's "Gravity", anyone?

06-15-2002 12:46 PM *
CJ Shearn





maybe it's not considered that weird..... but the instrumentation on Pat Metheny's "Quartet" album, which features him on acoustic, electric guitars, slide and ebows, guitar synth, 42 string guitar, soprano guitar, fretless guitar, Lyle Mays on piano, electric piano(sounds like a Wurlitzer) celeste, autoharps, non tuned spinet piano and pedal harmonium... as well as unusual percussion from Paul Wertico.... maybe even trashcans? "Badlands" especially has freakish otherworldly sounds.

06-15-2002 01:04 PM *
Chicken Coop


The odd-ball instrumentations I find most interesting are those of the late Esquivel, what with his tuned bongos, steel guitar intrusions, and God knows what else.
Coop

06-15-2002 01:22 PM *
Omar Zamora


>>Somebody must have explored the instrument further; I just don't know who.<<

Don't know if it's a further exploration, but James Coleman has an interesting recording called "Zuhitsu", with him on theremin, Greg Kelley on trumpet, and Bhob Rainey on sax.

Did Le Sony ever play or include a theremin in his band?

06-15-2002 03:00 PM *
bostontricky


Dimensionale x H2O Memory - Raum-Zeit-Klang Projekt

(I can't figure out which is the group and which is the title, neither could the German website I bought it from...)

Moschner on tuba, didgeridoo

with

M Hering - reeds (tenor, alto, bass clarinet)
B Born - baritone sax
P Koch - cello
C Winckel - bass
J Schulz - bass

06-15-2002 06:54 PM *
Squaredancecaller



Thanks, Omar!
Sonny would seem a natural to use a theramin, but I'm seeing nothing in Penguin. Next time I'm at the Saturn website, I'll nose around.

Rereading my post, I am reminded of the wisdom of the great Robert Benchley: "The word 'whom' was created solely to cause embarassment."

06-16-2002 03:31 AM *
Squaredancecaller


Two of my top ten for the year:

Rabih Abou-Kahlil's "The Cactus of Knowledge" -- oud, 2 trumpets, french horn, euphonium, tuba, clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, cello, frame drums, drums

Tin Hat Trio's "The Rodeo Eroded" -- Mark plays guitar, prepared guitar, dobro and banjo; Rob plays accordian, piano, prepared piano, toy piano, field organ, celeste and harmonica; Carla plays violin, viola, trumpet violin and voice

11-16-2002 03:23 AM *
Bill Barton


Long-time New Black Eagle Jazz Band pianist Bob Pilsbury recorded a piano-violin-bass version of "Stairway to Heaven" on one of his solo albums. Anybody game for a segue from that rendition to the positively eerie take on the toon from Dolly Parton's new one?

11-19-2002 09:55 PM *
bostontricky


Hans Kennel's third Habarigani album (Habarigani Brass) on hatART, a brass quintet + bass:

Kennel and Heinz della Torre - trumpet/flugel
Tom Varner - French horn
Glenn Ferris (!) - trombone
Richard Hager - bass trombone
Jean-Jaques Avenel - bass & cora

I don't know how Ferris (former Don Ellis sideman) got mixed up with that crew.

Of course, there is also Kennel's project - "Mytha: The Contemporary Alphorn Orchestra" (two CDs, also on hat) which fits into this thread quite well.




12-03-2002 07:03 PM *
Squaredancecaller




I have one of those alpenhorn albums by Kennel -- great physical sound!!

12-03-2002 07:31 PM *
ndorward


Hm: I suppose that many free-improv discs would count as having "odd" instrumentation but I don't tend to register that, given that the genre hasn't got a "set" instrumentation in the way that most musical genres do. What's eyecatching is oddly composed lineups doing material one associates with more "normal" lineups. A good example: I just got a batch of Splasc(h) discs for review, one of which is a pretty good disc by the Aliffi/D'Auria sextet, playing basically fairly straightforward jazz (sounds a little like Dave Holland in spots). The instrumentation is: clarinet, soprano saxophone, tuba, guitar, bass, drums. The kicker is that the saxophonist (Mario Arcari) actually switches to oboe d'amore for half the tracks. Which is the first time I've heard that instrument in jazz (an oboe pitched in the alto range). & darn it, it works!

One well-known one oddity in the Monk canon: _Brilliant Corners_, which includes Monk on celeste & Roach on tympani (on separate tracks, fortunately).

12-04-2002 11:53 PM *
hermann


ndorwand
Thank You for that oboe hint, I'm always seeking for such hints, cause my daughter plays oboe and I want to switch her to jazz.
Today I found:
Sachimay 9342 Ensemble Duchamp - Etant Donnes ; Lenny Young oboe,oboe d'amore Christopher Medeer tu Josh Yohe p,as Ravish Mohin dr,perc
Once in a LOFT Cologne concert I saw Mats Gustafsson playing his fluteophone, that was outstanding.
I have that George Lewis 'Just that usual turmoil' CD with trombone and koto by Masaoka, sounds very good to me.
Hermann

12-05-2002 08:53 AM *
Hat and Beard


bostontricky--Glenn Ferris has recorded with Barry Altschul, Tim Berne and Steve Lacy. Does that make him more "acceptable" to you?

12-05-2002 02:14 PM *
NorthernLight


http://home.online.no/~isungz/isCD.htm

I've just got this recording - and please don't tell me that it does not qualify on the "Top Ten Oddest Intrumentations" list.

12-05-2002 05:57 PM *
Joe Christmas


<>

Number one, hands down. Very cool. (groan)

So how is it?

12-05-2002 07:32 PM *
hermann


Albrecht Maurer Trio Works -> Movietalks(jazzhausmusik119), that are Walter Wierbos trombone, Benoit Delbecq piano&prepared piano and Albrecht Maurer violin&prepared violin [www.albrechtmaurer.de]; delicatessen of music.

Mitch Heinrich voice and Christoph Irmer violin -> Frogsong
take not only one probe at
http://www.nurnichtnur.com/frameset_nav_latest20.htm

12-06-2002 05:54 AM *
bostontricky


Hat and Beard - I guess I didn't do my homework on Glenn Ferris. As first I thought Don Ellis was a youthful indiscretion on Ferris' part (apparently he was only 16 when he started with Ellis) but after further thought, Ellis had recorded with Jaki Byard, Gary Peacock, and 2/3 of the Jimmy Giuffre 3 (Bley and Swallow). So maybe it's not much of a leap. Mea culpa.

12-06-2002 09:49 AM *
TomVarner


Hi all. this should prob. go into the "trombone players" thread, since it seems to be here, I will add to the praises of Glenn Ferris, my favorite trombone player alive today. A swinging human soulful breathy warm witty sound. We just finished a tour together last week in Czech, Gremany and Switz. with the "Peter Schaerli Special Sextet featuring Glenn Ferris and Tom Varner"--a great band--3 brass and pno/bass/dms. Glenn played with Don Ellis big band at 16, later with Stevie Wonder, Harry James (!), and then Frank Zappa. Has been in Paris last 25 or so years. Has some great cd's out now on the "Horst Weber"
Enja label (as does the Schaerli sextet) with a great band of bone/cello/bass, and also a new one of bone/bass/dma. He also plays a lot w. Michel Portal, Paulo Fresu, Aldo Romano, etc. And yes, we did a project a few years ago with Hans Kennel (great Swiss trumpeter-- Hans was with Mal Waldron in 60's, Carla Bley in 80's etc--does alphorn projects too) with brass quintet and JJ Avenel on bass--that was "Habarigani Brass" on Hat Hut--nice cd. Glenn is also very funny and a great guy. Best to all--TV

12-06-2002 11:33 AM *
TomVarner


fixing a typo--Glenn's new cd on Enja is bone/bass/drums--i had a vision of "bone/bass and high school drama club"---
Also, I have done projects with Hans Kennel as an "impovising alphorn quartet" with Hans, me, and at different times, Ray Anderson, Dave Bargeron, Bob Stewart, Art Baron, and Arkady Shilkloper as the other 2 guys. The alphorn is kind of like a huge wooden straightened -out french horn, pitched in the overtone seies of F, just like the fr. horn. Those alphorn cd's of Hans's on Hat Hut are quite something.

12-06-2002 11:43 AM *
Michael Schaumann


Wolter is the greatest living trombonist.

12-06-2002 11:57 AM *
Uli


What about Malfatti?

12-06-2002 12:07 PM *
TomVarner


uh oh....Wierbos is great, also Ray Anderson, Chris Washburne, Clark Gayton, the Bauers, Conrad Herwig, George Lewis, Art Baron, Luis Bonilla, David Taylor (bass b.) Steve Swell, Josh Roseman, all great great great.....
....but I LOVE Glenn Ferris......

12-06-2002 12:08 PM *
Uli


add Steve Turre, Craig Harris, Frank Lacy, coupl' of I-talians and some cats from Chi-town,
Eubanks, Priester...all of JC's own

Papo Vazquez,Bowie.....

12-06-2002 12:22 PM *
Joe Christmas


I love Varner drive-bys.

12-06-2002 12:26 PM *
vkargatis


bos, not sure I understand the bias against Ellis. The best of his big band work stands pretty high imo.

12-06-2002 12:38 PM *
Michael Schaumann


Herwig mega-dissed Wolter in a DB blindfold test. I could gather perhaps three to four of his solos and put them up against any in the vernacular.

TV>>>>I cannot get enough of "Cactus of. . ." since I finally ordered it after the hype in here. Incredible!

12-06-2002 12:51 PM *
bostontricky


VK - absolutely no bias against Ellis here ("Electric Bath" changed my life) - I am working on a complete discography of his work. Just amazed at the career path Don followed - big band sideman, thence to George Russell and Don's own small groups/third stream, Hindustani Jazz Sextet and back to the big band.

12-06-2002 12:59 PM *
NorthernLight


Christmas: >Number one, hands down. Very cool. (groan)

So how is it?

It's cool - it goes very well with lutefisk, aquavit and christmas beer (only listening experience I have). Palle Mikkelborg has added some sounds on a normal trumpet, in a normal studio, but Arve Henriksen plays the coolest ice trumpet you've ever heard. Still, his trumpet playing is cooler on his solo cd on Rune Gramofon/ECM.

12-06-2002 01:04 PM *
vkargatis


bos, so now I'm completely lost about your comment:
<< first I thought Don Ellis was a youthful indiscretion on Ferris' part >>

Looks like an Ellis dis to me...help?

12-06-2002 03:34 PM *
NorthernLight


"Odd" is a rather common male name here. My friend Odd, my uncle Odd, and the tenor player Odd, Knut's brother, are all odd in their own peculiar ways.
Isungset, however, was destined to something with ice. He did it a label that have some success for the time being. That's where I finally found this - right now:

Iceman Is - Terje Isungset
(064 458-2 Jazzland rec. distributed by Universal Music).

The Worlds first serious recording of musical instruments made from ice!

ICE HARP
ICE TRUMPET
ICE PERCUSSION


Background

Norwegian percussionist Terje Isungset has for years used a variety of organic sound elements in creating music and instruments. He has incorporated the sound of naturally found wood, stone, metal objects, and industrial machines and processes in the creation of musical works. Utilising ice as a source of sound has long been a dream of his, and in the year 2000 a serious opportunity came along to explore this possibility. He was commissioned to create a performance piece and composition incorporating the live sound of water beneath a natural frozen waterfall at the 2000 Lillehammer Winter Festival, at minus 15C degrees and with Palle Mikkelborg and Lena Willemark as participating musicians. (the concert was televised in Norway). This was likely the first public concert ever combining instruments of ice with traditional musical instruments. While preparing for the Lillehammer concert, Isungset was contacted to help create Swedens contribution to the world-wide televised New Years Day Millennium Celebration . In co-operation with sculptor Bengt Carling, Isungset created a set of ice percussion instruments that were played for the whole world to see and hear.
Iceman Is
The sonic qualities of ice turned out to be so fantastic that Terje decided to start working on a CD recording with ice instruments. He wanted to expand beyond ice percussion, and had ideas for ice "brass" and string instruments. Recording conditions would have to be extreme, because the fragile ice instruments are very quiet and also prone to temperature damage. The perfect location was found at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi , North Sweden , and music for the CD "Iceman Is" was recorded the first two days of February 2001.

The Ice Hotel is built every winter on a frozen lake, and the nearby frozen river was a perfect source for the quality ice needed for the Iceman Is project. It is essential for good sound that the ice is free of air bubbles, cracks, pollutants, or dirt. This area is known to have large amounts of superior quality ice.
With special tools and machines, huge blocks of ice were harvested from the river and cut to specific sizes. A 4x16m (13'x 52') recording studio room was built using 1 meter (3') thick hard packed snow blocks, and a small window for natural light.
This room proved to be 100% sound proof. We built an adjacent control room for the audio technician, and to separate the hum of hard drives from the recording room. The outdoor temperature was -37C , -8C inside. (-34F/17F)
Ideal conditions for ice instruments, if not for musicians.
The ice changes character and density with different temperatures, and conditions are best around -10C.





Isungset and Carling worked for 3 days and nights prior to the recording, inventing and developing new instruments made from ice, some building on previous experiences, others completely from scratch. New inventions undoubtedly came to light... Ice harp, Ice horn, Ice trumpet, ice bass drum, and other percussion instruments. New unknown timbres and sonic adventures. The only parts not made from ice were the strings for the ice harp, and the bass drum pedal. In addition, horn player Arve Henriksen at times used a glass fibre mouth piece, although most of the time he'd blow with his lips directly onto the ice trumpets.
The recording.
Two days of practice and performance featured Iro Haarla (iceharp), Arve Henriksen (ice trumpet) and Terje Isungset (ice percussion). 3 hours of recorded ice music resulted from this unique session.

During the following months, Isungset continued to work with this raw material, editing and rearranging the sonic elements, selecting and creating a more unified progression of musical elements, but without altering the original sound.

On some of the tracks on the final CD "Iceman Is", other instruments have been added later, Lena Willemark - vocal, Palle Mikkelborg - trumpet, Hilmar Jensson and Skuli Sverrison - electronics.

Still, the mood from the Jukkasjarvi session is preserved, and the ice instruments form the foundation and inspiration for the other instruments that were added.
The sound of natural ice is the essence of the music on "Iceman Is".
100% natural - this is the sound of ice!
You really cant get more "chill" than this


12-11-2002 04:21 PM *
Squaredancecaller



Wow! How can you be cooler than that!!

When my uncle Marty was playing trumpet with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (Dorati), they recorded the 1812 Overture outside, so they could shoot off a real cannon in a park, and one of the brass player's lips froze to his mouthpiece!

12-11-2002 04:44 PM *
Pat Frisco


A couple of years ago I was contacted by the European tuba player Carl Ludwig Hubisch. He was doing a small tour of the US in duo with violinist Harald Kimmig. Violin and tuba! I thought that an odd pairing for a duo concert. But those two showed me and everyone in attendance just how right on it was. A beautiful set of duo improvised music.

Bottom line is (and I should be ashamed to have taken so long to figure it out) there IS no odd instrumentations in improvised music. Only new and exciting possibilities.

Pat Frisco

12-11-2002 05:28 PM *
Bill Barton


<<53. vkargatis 12-06-2002 / 12:38 PM

bos, not sure I understand the bias against Ellis. The best of his big band work stands pretty high imo.>>

<<55. bostontricky 12-06-2002 / 12:59 PM

VK - absolutely no bias against Ellis here ("Electric Bath" changed my life) - I am working on a complete discography of his work. Just amazed at the career path Don followed - big band sideman, thence to George Russell and Don's own small groups/third stream, Hindustani Jazz Sextet and back to the big band.>>

<<57. vkargatis 12-06-2002 / 03:34 PM

bos, so now I'm completely lost about your comment:
<< first I thought Don Ellis was a youthful indiscretion on Ferris' part >>

Looks like an Ellis dis to me...help?>>

Hmmmmm... Certainly a thought-provoking and ultimately somewhat puzzling exchange here.

In the realm of unusual (if perhaps not "oddest") instrumentations, the Ellis big band with the electric string quartet as one of the sections certainly might qualify.







12-11-2002 08:41 PM *
Squaredancecaller



>>"Odd" is a rather common male name here. My friend Odd, my uncle Odd, and the tenor player Odd<<

You mean there a thousands and thousands of people up there who can legitimately say, "Odd is my middle name!" I always suspected the Norwegians were a Odder than the rest of the world. This confirms it!

12-12-2002 04:08 AM *
hermann


Hallo Pat
Hbsch has an interesting CD made together with Walter Wierbos and Mathias Schubert 'Longrun development of the univers', I heard them at Stadtgarten Cologne and it was great music. ( CD at label Jazzhausmusik )
Hermann

12-12-2002 05:04 AM *
NorthernLight


>You mean there a thousands and thousands of people up there who can legitimately say, "Odd is my middle name!" I always suspected the Norwegians were a Odder than the rest of the world. This confirms it!(Squaredancecaller)



Right now 26143 men are named "Odd" (their first Christian name)
6863 have "Odd" as their only Christian name.

Some historic "Odds" must have moved to Minnesota. I assume they changed their names?

>When my uncle Marty was playing trumpet with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (Dorati), they recorded the 1812 Overture outside, so they could shoot off a real cannon in a park, and one of the brass player's lips froze to his mouthpiece!(SDC)

I wonder if I might have listened to your uncle, when I heard the Orchestra in the Concert Hall (great acoustics) in July/August 1987.?
Before the concert, I visited a viola player (St. Paul Chamber Orchestra). He played a Hindemith duet for viola and violin with his wife. Still haven't found the title of that piece. I'll give it another fiftheen years...

12-12-2002 07:04 AM *
hermann


NoL, have a look at:
Literature fr Viola - ... Hindemith, Paul. ... Duo fur Violine und Viola,
http://viola.byu.edu/ZeyringerNP2.htm
maybe You can find ???
Hermann

12-12-2002 08:23 AM *
Squaredancecaller



>>I wonder if I might have listened to your uncle, when I heard the Orchestra in the Concert Hall (great acoustics) in July/August 1987.? <<

Alas, no -- Marty and Sally had enough of the midwestern winters after a few years, and by the early 60s they were back east. By '87 Marty had a stereo shop in Mt. Kisco, NY.

12-12-2002 01:26 PM *
*
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Old January-3rd-2006, 03:39 PM   #6
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Andrea Parkins (accordion, etc.) and Yusef Lateef (oboe) come to mind, at least from amongst players whose work I enjoy.
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Old January-3rd-2006, 03:42 PM   #7
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And this more recent thread:

Odd instruments in jazz
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Old January-3rd-2006, 03:52 PM   #8
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To administrators - Please close this thread ...

... and while your at it unsubscribe me....what a cold reception you give newbies.
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Old January-3rd-2006, 03:58 PM   #9
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Damn, man, Steve was just trying to help. Hi, and bye.
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Old January-3rd-2006, 03:58 PM   #10
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I'm not sure why you thought this was a cold reception. I wasn't try to scold you by bringing up the old threads, just trying to lay out what's already been done here. Don't take it personally. Actually I thought the thread was started by my friend Jaka, and I would never do anything to alienate Jaka.
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Old January-3rd-2006, 04:18 PM   #11
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maybe the nicest guy on this board is alienating newcomers
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Old January-3rd-2006, 04:49 PM   #12
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... and while your at it unsubscribe me....what a cold reception you give newbies.
Try growing some balls.
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Old January-3rd-2006, 04:51 PM   #13
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Try growing some balls.
elephant?
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Old January-3rd-2006, 04:58 PM   #14
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Old January-4th-2006, 11:22 AM   #15
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In the words of my buddy, Timmy - "Sheeesh."
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Old January-4th-2006, 11:40 AM   #16
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Old January-6th-2006, 09:42 AM   #17
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A friend of mine gave me a cd of a cat playing jazz bagpipes! Ugh! It was horrible! If it wasn't for that everpresent overtone that thing makes, it might have had a chance but that overtone interferes with relative chord interplay!
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Old January-6th-2006, 03:12 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve
I'm not sure why you thought this was a cold reception. I wasn't try to scold you by bringing up the old threads, just trying to lay out what's already been done here. Don't take it personally. Actually I thought the thread was started by my friend Jaka, and I would never do anything to alienate Jaka.

Steve-

I agree with the now quickly departed Jake. He got blown off here. There was no need to go to all the trouble of copying and pasting all the previous posts from other threads on the same subject. It's like if he went to someone's house as a guest, brought up a topic and was told in detail and a sing-song voice all that had been previously said on the matter aka STFU.

You seem like a fair-minded guy and a nice poster, as someone has already said.

But the Jake guy was treated very rudely and was made the butt of his own sincere effort to start an interesting thread.

I looked at his other posts and they were alll valid.

I think we lost a good poster.
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Old January-6th-2006, 03:49 PM   #19
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John,

I gave a link to the other thread, which is what I'd normally do. Although it may contain as much or more information as cutting and pasting, it appears less obtrusive.

But I did the cut and paste with the Archived thread because I know that with slow dial-up connections or old computers, the Archive search never arrives and your machine just spins its wheels. That's how it was until I got my new G5 + cable combination.

As I mentioned above, I misread the original's poster's name, and actually thought I was replying to Jaka, who would not have misinterpreted what I did.

I suppose I could have been more gracious, and greeted Jake, and taken the trouble to explain what I was doing. But I was feeling a little pressed for time, and didn't think it was necessary. After all, the thread was in Speak Out and was about jazz, it wasn't about him.

I think there is a certain degree of social toughness and a sense of self-worth that is necessary to post here, and if what I did here was enough to turn him away it was only a matter of time until he met some of the other inmates and fled in terror.
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Old January-6th-2006, 03:54 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve
I think there is a certain degree of social toughness and a sense of self-worth that is necessary to post here, and if what I did here was enough to turn him away it was only a matter of time until he met some of the other inmates and fled in terror.
I agree 100%. He can come back if he desires.
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Old January-6th-2006, 04:09 PM   #21
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He can come back if he desires.
So can alovinj, jazzybabe, and mikemiller.com.
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Old January-6th-2006, 05:27 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve
John,
As I mentioned above, I misread the original's poster's name, and actually thought I was replying to Jaka, who would not have misinterpreted what I did.
Not only wouldn't I have misinterpreted it, but I would have been glad for Steve to come with interesting older takes on the topic.
Btw, thanks Steve, I appreciate the (misdirected) help.

Last edited by jaka; January-6th-2006 at 05:29 PM. Reason: Oops, did it again. Can't write, sorry.
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Old January-6th-2006, 05:33 PM   #23
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Forgot something:

WELCOME JAKE. Come back.

Steve really is the NICEST man ON EARTH (or at least ONE of them).
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Old January-6th-2006, 06:19 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve
John,

I gave a link to the other thread, which is what I'd normally do. Although it may contain as much or more information as cutting and pasting, it appears less obtrusive.

But I did the cut and paste with the Archived thread because I know that with slow dial-up connections or old computers, the Archive search never arrives and your machine just spins its wheels. That's how it was until I got my new G5 + cable combination.

As I mentioned above, I misread the original's poster's name, and actually thought I was replying to Jaka, who would not have misinterpreted what I did.

I suppose I could have been more gracious, and greeted Jake, and taken the trouble to explain what I was doing. But I was feeling a little pressed for time, and didn't think it was necessary. After all, the thread was in Speak Out and was about jazz, it wasn't about him.

I think there is a certain degree of social toughness and a sense of self-worth that is necessary to post here, and if what I did here was enough to turn him away it was only a matter of time until he met some of the other inmates and fled in terror.

Steve Bro-

You don't have to explain yourself to me. You seem a very upright poster. And a couple times, I mistook jake and jaka, both who had similar names and even similar logos.

I tried e-mailing JAKE, but the function is turned off.

I don't think that anyone should have to be tough and pay his dues on this forum before they are accorded some level of respect and civility. This shouldn't be a cutting contest. It should be a place where like minded people are welcomed, not mocked.

I simply state that in general, not specific about this poster or thread or series of posts.
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Old January-7th-2006, 12:40 AM   #25
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Ken McIntyre used to play oboe and bassoon, Karen Borca also plays bassoon, Rahsaan had his famous stritch and manzello, Dave Holland his cello and Alice Coltrane her harp.
Any other players you can think of who use(d) instruments not usually associated with jazz?
I think probably the strangest instruments in jazz were Rufus Harley's bagpipes and maybe Dorothy Ashby's harp. Unlike Alice Coltrane, Dorothy actually swings.

Art Van Dam played jazz accordian. There were a few other jazz accordian players back in the 50s, but it seems to have fallen out of favor as a jazz instrument.

Also, one of the few people to play tympani as a jazz instrument was pioneer jazz drummer Vic Berton. The tympani has been used more recently in jazz, but generally as "color," not as a real jazz instrument. Berton actually played bass lines on the tuned percussion instrument.

The cello also has often been used as "color" in jazz orchestrations, but Oscar Pettiford was one of the few to actually play jazz on the cello.

Yuseef Lateef has played on a number of Eastern and African instruments and also home made instruments (it was said he knew the pitch of every brand of soda bottle back when there were soda bottles).

Spike Jones played tuned cow bells set up like a vibes set.

Bob Cooper played both oboe and English Horn.

The banjo has fallen almost completely out of favor in jazz since about 1930, having been replaced by the guitar. My hunch is that this is because the lack of a sustain on the banjo makes it very difficult to "swing" in the traditional sense.

Genuine jazz fiddle players are few and far between, though purveyors of western swing come very close to being jazz players.
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Old January-7th-2006, 02:51 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RedJazz
I think probably the strangest instruments in jazz were Rufus Harley's bagpipes and maybe Dorothy Ashby's harp. Unlike Alice Coltrane, Dorothy actually swings.
Rufus Harley was a gas!

I'm not hip to Dorothy Ashby, but will check into her. John Coltrane didn't always "swing" either, but that didn't diminish his importance or significance in the jazz lexicon.

Quote:
Art Van Dam played jazz accordian.
Yes, indeed. Art Van Damme carved some entirely new territory with his remarkable style and recordings.

Quote:
The cello also has often been used as "color" in jazz orchestrations, but Oscar Pettiford was one of the few to actually play jazz on the cello.
With all due respect, Red Jazz, I must strongly disagree with this assertion.

Ray Brown, Nat Gershman, Fred Katz and David Darling have each made some major contributions as jazz cellists. I'm certain that I've left out many others.

Quote:
Bob Cooper played both oboe and English Horn.
As does Paul McCandless . . . beautifully!

Quote:
Genuine jazz fiddle players are few and far between, though purveyors of western swing come very close to being jazz players.
If the word "genuine" doesn't get in the way, I'm reminded of Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith, Jean-Luc Ponty, Michal Urbaniak, Stephane Grapelli, Billy Bang and Regina Carter, to name a few.

I couldn't agree more with your comment regarding (some) western swing fiddlers coming very close to jazz expression.
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Old January-8th-2006, 01:55 AM   #27
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Great photos of the goofus and the hot fountain pen. The goofus looks like my melodica but with a saxophone attachment. I've never seen it before.

Odd instruments? Herbert L. Clarke thought a trumpet was odd.

But one can never overlook Sidney Bechet's one recording on the contrabass sarrusophone (what would a sarrusophone section sound like?), Snub Mosley's slide saxophone and John Zorn's duck calls.

An odd sound that someone should explore someday is using a plunger mute on a tuba. There would have to be a second person operating the plunger, but I suspect it could be pretty devastating.
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Old January-8th-2006, 02:03 AM   #28
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Did anyone yet mention Red McKenzie's comb and tissue paper 'instrument'?

He played some hot solos on 'it'. I wish he had played a more conventional horn.
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Old January-8th-2006, 02:30 AM   #29
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Have Eddie Harris' innovations been mentioned yet? They are many, and if they haven't, I'll plug 'em in a later installment.
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Old January-8th-2006, 02:52 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Thorne
John Coltrane didn't always "swing" either, but that didn't diminish his importance or significance in the jazz lexicon.

Ray Brown, Nat Gershman, Fred Katz and David Darling have each made some major contributions as jazz cellists. I'm certain that I've left out many others.

If the word "genuine" doesn't get in the way, I'm reminded of Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith, Jean-Luc Ponty, Michal Urbaniak, Stephane Grapelli, Billy Bang and Regina Carter, to name a few.

I couldn't agree more with your comment regarding (some) western swing fiddlers coming very close to jazz expression.
Re Coltrane, if there is any essence to jazz (and I'm of the opinion that everything has an essence, otherwise why have the category?), swing is its essence. After all, improvisation, the propular song form, blues, and even the peculiar instrumental combinations are found in other forms of music, but only jazz swings. It is what makes jazz, jazz. The song form and instrumental combination certainly helps, as does at least a feeling of improvisation, but as Ellington said a very long time ago, It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing. This is not at all to disparage jazz-based music that doesn't swing. It varies from great to god awful, and it may well be jazz derived but it is no more jazz than Benny Goodman playing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto is jazz. The point being that jazz can't be defined simply as the music that jazz musicians play as they may well play other forms of music.

Likewise with Katz. He certainly added color to many jazz ensembles as do many French horn players, but it's hard to characterize what he did as jazz.

With fiddlers it's a little more complicated. I think people such as Grappelli and Joe Venuti played jazz, but compared to what contemporaries were doing on other instruments in the same period, it wasn't very good jazz, ie, they were'nt exactly hard swingers in the sense that Stuff Smith was.
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