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I play basson in my highschool band and was wondering if there were any bands from the 1900s to the 1930s that had a bassoon somewhere in there band? I know and odd question isn't it
-Tom

Here you go...
https://archive.org/details/TheBassoon1903

https://soundcloud.com/jelly-jim-sounds ... e-laughing

http://books.google.com/books?id=9ZfzK9 ... 3F&f=false

Search to your heart's content...
https://www.google.com/webhp?source=sea ... bassoon%3F

James.

Check this out: Running Ragged aka "Bamboozlin' The Bassoon" by joe Venuti's Blue Four featuring Frankie Trumbauer on bassoon as well as his more usual C melody sax. If you look at photos of '20s dance bands, you will notice that the reed players usually have a variety of instruments around them: clarinet, flute, sax(es), oboe and the occasional bassoon and sometimes things you've never seen before.

Jim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CacwG09c_IU

The Elephant and the Fly

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/searc ... rtOrder=ia

If any dance band had a bassoon, it must have been Paul Whiteman ! Paul tried almost everything.

here you go "Jimmy Wornell's Hot-Bluebottles"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHeDD-5 ... iGfZ4Ubnnw

I feel sure that Jack Hylton wouuld have had a bassoon amongst his ranks at sometime "possibly E.O. "Poggy" Pogson?"

There are also some sides from the later 1920's where Sidney Bechet plays on a Sarussaphone, which is essentially an equivalent to the bassoon, made in brass, for use in military bands. "Mandy, make-up your mind" is one such cut.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljUzoDKsifM

Comes-in around 1:47.

There are also photos of early 20-century recording sessions (Columbia ?) with bassoons in the mix...

I'm pretty sure Whiteman had one or two, but also suspect that whoever was playing them was doing so as a "double"... probably tenor sax was their primary instrument in the ensemble.

That is some deep bass for an acoustic recording!!!

edisonphonoworks wrote:That is some deep bass for an acoustic recording!!!

Yes, it is... I wouldn't be surprised if in the studio, Bechet had the bell of the Sarussophone pointed right at the recording horn...


I discovered this recording about 35 years ago, on a Columbia (?) LP re-issue from the public Library, I believe it was an album of early Louis Armstrong / Hot-Five stuff that included Bechet...


I love this recording, as well as anything with bass-saxophone...

Ditto here, Frank. I bet you're a big Adrian Rollini fan, also Min Leibrook. Great stuff!

Bechet was a genius!