Help: Sarrusaphone

Subject: Sarrusaphone
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 03:36 AM

I ought to know this as I'm atracted by strange musical instruments but I was lsitening to the Clarence Williams Blue Five recording last night where Bechet plays sarrusaphone as well as soprano sax. It sounds like a less smooth baritone sax or a bass kazoo(!).
Was it one of those hybrid brass/woodwind instruments that had a brief vogue? Does any 'catter know? No photos in any of my jazz books.
RtS

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 03:40 AM

Do a google search Roger. OK I will, here it is:
Sarrusaphone here
It is a brass/woodwind hybrid with two reeds. Now I (and you!) know.
Must stop talking to myself.
RtS (you're never alone with a split personality!)

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: CarolC
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 05:11 AM

That sounds like the instrument they used for the spaceship music on the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 05:35 AM

It's a giant brass oboe! I should think you have to wear ear protectors to play one of those. A bass kazoo might be easier (and safer!) to play. I wonder if I could cross a kazoo with a jug ..? I must remember to take my kazoo home on Friday and try it.

Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: rangeroger
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 12:39 PM

I don't know about the picture of Mr Nelson engaged in family sax.

rr

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Lanfranc
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 01:47 PM

A double reed (rather than two)would make it a brass bassoon! The saxophone family, like the clarinets, only have one reed.

Never heard one before, but I bet it makes the party farty!

There was so much background hum on the .wav on the above link that you could hardly make out the instrument.

I used to play bassoon in my youth, easier to play than an oboe or cor anglais, just a lot bigger!

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 02:06 PM

I used to have an old dictionary with a picture of a contra-bass Sarrusaphone...mounted on a little wheeled cart for parades and outdoor band concerts. I gather they DID have volume!

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 02:16 PM

gee...seems to be sound files, too...lookee here this guy wants to get up a quartet....

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 03:30 AM

Lanfranc, I nearly said it was a giant brass bassoon, but on close inspection, the reeds seem to be ... what's the technical expression? You put the reeds between your lips (as per oboe), whle the sarrusaphone reeds are enclosed (half-broken?), like a baasoon, or (heaven help us!) a bagpipe chanter--aargh! Imagine a sarrusa-bagpipe! You'd need two people to carry it, let alone play the thing. If there's a pipe-maker out ther who's tempted, DON'T DO IT! Roger, what have you started?

Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: GUEST,Lanfranc at the orifice
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 04:27 AM

Could we persuade a gnome to suppress this thread, before it's too late and someone decides to put them back into production?

Flaming is one thing, a huge brass bagpipe.........

AAAaaagh!

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 06:19 AM

So the consensus is I should even think of trying to play one, then!!
RtS (back to the kazoo, grumble grumble, buzz buzz)

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 08:36 AM

Roger, I think the concensus is no-one should think of playing one! The danger of proliferation is just too grim to contemplate--and ear muffs don't work so weel at low frequencies.

Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 12:57 PM

unless you have a need to do ferry-boat imitations...or perhaps mating calls of Blue Whales

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Lyrical Lady
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 01:05 PM

I met a man the other day who told me he plays the vibraphone. I didn't want to appear ignorant so I just "Oh, how nice" ... What is it? Also, have any of you seen a harmonaphone ... it's a series of glass 'tubes' on a lathe like contraption which is turned by a foot treddle and you play it by dipping you fingers in water and placing them on the rim of the glass as it turns ... very cool.

LL

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 11:52 PM

a vibraphone is a type of Xylophone...like what Lionel Hampton played.....looks like this

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Margo
Date: 12 Oct 01 - 01:29 AM

Lyrical Lady, the water dipping inst. is the glass Armonica, an invention of the esteemed Benjamin Franklin. You can read about it here: http://www.glassarmonica.com/

Margo

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Lyrical Lady
Date: 12 Oct 01 - 02:28 AM

Thank you Margo! I think it's fabulous instrument. Mozart wrote a beautiful piece especially for the armonica. I first saw it on TV when my girls used to watch Mr. Rogers!

LL

Subject: RE: Help: Sarrusaphone
From: Tig
Date: 12 Oct 01 - 04:14 PM

Well we actually saw Bill\Sables take his saw out of a violin case and play it the other week!! Let people play what they feel like.....