Bassoonist, Dave Wells, happened across an old vinyl record by The Burbank Philharmonic, while in a thrift shop in Madison, Wisconsin. This recording, which Internet research indicates may have been released in 1970, appears to have been the band’s first, and perhaps last album.
On this album, The Burbank Philharmonic took pop songs of the day, such as: Hey Jude, Spinning Wheel, King Of The Road, Light My Fire, among others, and performed them in a Dixieland style. If this wasn’t unusual enough, the bass saxophone part that one might find in a trad jazz band, was replaced by a contrabass.
Source: S. Robinson
Dave Wells describes the band like this:
Here, the contra is part of a mix of instruments — trumpet, clarinet, banjo, trombone, string bass, Hammond organ, accordion, and drums that create sort of a psuedo-neo-Dixieland band. The whole record is quite strange, but most of it falls squarely into the good/funny-weird category. Here’s my favorite track from the disc, one that prominently features the massive contrabass sax:
Unfortunately credits were not given to the individual musicians on the album, so we don’t know who the contrabass saxophonist was who performed with The Burbank Philharmonic.
Given that this recording was likely done around 1969 or ’70, the contrabass would most likely be of the vintage variety. Therefore, the possible list of players is quite small, given that there would have been perhaps only 20 or less of these instruments in existence worldwide.
In any event, this is certainly the most unusual recording of Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made For Walking, that I’ve ever heard. How about you? Oh, and in case you’re wondering what the original might have sounded like, here is a video of Nancy Sinatra performing her #1 hit song on an Italian TV program, in 1966.
Hi Helen,
If you are still wondering who played the contra, the Independent of march 1970 (p37) named him as Werner Wilder. He is the one holding the instrument on the photo.
Thanks Theo!
Soprillo and Contrabass. Spot the Soprillo?
Hi Helen, if you would like more contrabass pictures I have some.
Hi Chris.
Thanks for posting this. Yes please, I would love some contra pics. Please send them to my gmail address: bassic.sax.ca@gmail.com The larger in resolution the better. I can always make them smaller if I need to, but I can’t make them bigger. 😉
Who owned the contra? I was trying to make out what brand this is. The bell to body brace isn’t the traditional shape associated with Orsi, but perhaps it’s just an older/newer model than the ones I’ve seen photos of to date. What was it like to blow? I’ve heard different people describe them differently. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on your experience. Also… Could you see yourself wanting one now? Or did the experience playing one make you realize that this is one sax voice you could live without.
Newly constructed Bass Sax.
Use the C.G.Conn measurements from another horn to make templates and used the old hardware took 4 months to completely do the bare brass look.
Hey there Chris, long time no see.
Interesting. Can you tell me a bit more about this bass? What was newly-made with the templates? Who did the work?