Gutbucketeer,

Jack and I will be winging our way out there traveling together and arrive sometime around mid to late afternoon on Wednesday. I hope we'll have a chance to do more of the same music making this year.

On a more pre-fessional note, (Don't feel singled out I do this with every tub player I know and may have already mentioned this to you in a previous thread.) I'd just like to put in my two cents regarding the use of a small rock and roll bass drum body instead of the more traditional "actual" tub for gutbucketeering.

I had a chance to work with Dr. James Rhythm, famed tubbist for Washboard Jackson and His Hot Damn Jug Band. I briefly had an opportunity to perform with this wonderful combo while in New Orleans in the early 80s. The good Dr. James' tub idea created better tonal quality, tons more volume and had an ease of playability unmatched when compared to the use of the traditional galvanized steel tub.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have great respect and admiration for anyone who can make a tub work well. It is a difficult task at best. I also have more than a healthy respect for tradition, but let's face it, one of the founding principles of jug band instrumentation, if there were any at all, has been to not just bend the rules of convention, but to break them, and/or ignore them completely and that's just what Dr. James did.

The result is quite astonishing and one that I've tried to encourage other tub players to explore ever since. I am surprised at how many tub guys and gals that I've mentioned this idea to have staunchly and resolutely refused to recognize it's advantages. They cling to the idea of using the traditional standard galvanized steel washtub sighting that the visual of playing a drum body would not look right nor be as appealing to their listeners. Yes, it is a real treat to hear someone who has mastered the tub and the visual is unforgettable, but given that Dr. James' drum/tub was created and played in exactly the same fashion I don't believe he lost much, if anything, visually while thumpin' along. What he gained, as I mnentioned, is an ease of playability that cannot be found in any other design that I've seen since, a quality of tone and responsiveness that even has upright string bass players jealous, and a volume level like no other regular tub or upright could even dream of matching.

Okay, I'll stop now.

Tub on brother!

Saw ya there