Brass bass?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Mentioned in the "what are you listening to" thread.

What's a brass bass? How does it differ from a tuba? Or does it differ from a tuba? Or one of those other big brass things?

MG

[Guest Bill Barton]

Mentioned in the "what are you listening to" thread.

What's a brass bass? How does it differ from a tuba? Or does it differ from a tuba? Or one of those other big brass things?

MG

I've seen the term used as a synonym for tuba. As far as I know it doesn't refer to a different instrument. Maybe the historians among us can clarify this...

[sidewinder]

Sousaphone?

[jazzbo]

Almost every time I've seen it used it is a tuba described. I wonder if it's there just in case a euphonium is used, or the lister is not sure if a bass saxophone is played, etc.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Sousaphone?

That's the thing that went around the musician's body, up behind his back and came out above his head (facing forward), isn't it?

One of the musicians in a New Orleans revival band I used to see a lot in the late sixties played that.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Sousaphone

(I used to have a blazer like the banjo player's. Really stood out in the office! )

MG

[mikeweil]

Usually the brass bass in a jazz band was a tuba, but brass bands often used a sousaphone, same range but different design. Easier to carry while marching.

Concert brass bands rather use tubas; note there are no trombones but euphoniums:

These have both tubas and sousaphones:

Bass players of the earlier generations often played both instruments, e.g. Red Callender and Major Holley.

Tubas can be big:

Edited January 25, 2009 by mikeweil

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Tubas can be big:

Bloomin' 'eck, Tucker!

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Usually the brass bass in a jazz band was a tuba, but brass bands often used a sousaphone, same range but different design. Easier to carry while marching.

Concert brass bands rather use tubas; note there are no trombones but euphoniums:

Bass players of the earlier generations often played both instruments, e.g. Red Callender and Major Holley.

Thanks Mike.

MG

[papsrus]

Thanks for starting this thread, MG. The abbreviation (bb) on the Jabbo Smith recording was a bit of a mystery. And thanks Mikeweil for the great photos and insights here.

Now another possible mystery: In the photo below, Mike indicates that there are no trombones. I'm wondering what the instruments are in second row on the left? They look like slide instruments of some kind, although they're mostly obscured so it's hard to tell.

Usually the brass bass in a jazz band was a tuba, but brass bands often used a sousaphone, same range but different design. Easier to carry while marching.

Concert brass bands rather use tubas; note there are no trombones but euphoniums:

Bass players of the earlier generations often played both instruments, e.g. Red Callender and Major Holley.

Thanks Mike.

MG

[Guest Bill Barton]

Those are indeed great photos, thanks Mike!

Where I've seen the term (or most usually the abbreviation) used most often is in discographies. It seems to be, at least in part, to differentiate between brass bass and string bass (sb).

[mikeweil]

There are so many types of middle and low brass instruments .... this Wikipedia entry is a pretty good introduction. It also gives examples of different instrumentations of British and other brass bands.