I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it

Subject: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Rasener
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 01:15 PM

Well I don't really, but there must be thousands out there who do. So do you play the Kazoo and are you proud of it. Wh o is the best Kazoo player in the world?

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: BusyBee Paul
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 01:33 PM

Les, are you tempting Sooz?!

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Rasener
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 02:00 PM

Sooz wouldn't dare BusyBee Paul :-)

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Gurney
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 03:31 PM

'Play' the kazoo? It is a voice modifier. You can only play it as tunefully as you can sing.
The Ocarina, now,.....

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Acorn4
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 03:49 PM

I play the gramophone and I'm proud of it!

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 04:02 PM

Then of course there is Geoff who plays kazoo and banjo mostly at the same time :)

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Tootler
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 04:02 PM

I played the kazoo and made a mess of it!

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: olddude
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 04:13 PM

How about spoons Les?
I drop them a lot does that count?

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 04:25 PM

I play the comb and sometimes even remember to use clean new toilet paper on it.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Rasener
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 04:44 PM

Err is that a brown comb Repaire :-)

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 06:07 PM

And proud of them both!
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: olddude
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 06:12 PM

ok I can't resist, I have to fill in for Spaw right now

"it is better than playing the skin flute" ... LOL

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 09:15 PM

I don't know about 'best'.

I play every chance I get, and love it, and encourage others to play it whenever I can, much to the chagrin of those who don't get it. There is something wrong with them, if you ask me : )

Dani

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Oct 09 - 09:24 PM

I love to play the kazoo, but only on certain songs. I tried it at church choir practice once, and I don't understand why people didn't like it....

-Joe-

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Genie
Date: 14 Oct 09 - 12:49 AM

I'm with you, Dani!

As Gurney said,
" ... You can only play it as tunefully as you can sing. ... "

I.e., not just anyone can 'play' the kazoo well.   It does take skill.


Now, as for me, my piece de résistance sur le kazoo is a rousing version of The Stars And Stripes Forever (is there any other kind?) with which I end all my July 4th programs. The piccolo part is especially poignant.

Genie

§; D

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: melodeonboy
Date: 14 Oct 09 - 09:58 AM

So do I and so am I!

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: greg stephens
Date: 14 Oct 09 - 10:16 AM

Here is some state of the art kazoo work(and comb and paper) from the Mound City Blue Blowers. Enjoy!

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: greg stephens
Date: 14 Oct 09 - 10:23 AM

I should have thought of this before, my very favourite track of a very favourite band, and absolutely one of my Desert Island discs. The Memphis Jug Band playing K.C. Moan. Total magic.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Oct 09 - 11:23 AM

I play the kazoo, but I'm sort of a closet case. Tom grimaces every time I even mention it. Definitely verboten at The Press Room sessions (at least for me -- I'm supposed to set "a good example"...)

But I own three, count 'em -- three, kazoo LPs.

(You haven't lived until you've heard "Hold On, I'm Coming" on kazoo...)

Linn

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 14 Oct 09 - 12:26 PM

Me too,, but I'm not even the best in the room when I'm alone! Best? Dunno. Favourites: Jesse Fuller & Jim Kweskin.
RtS

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: greg stephens
Date: 14 Oct 09 - 12:37 PM

Here's Jesse Fuller with his big hit San Francisco Bay Blues . You have to wait a bit for the kazoo, it's the second solo, after the harmonica.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Rasener
Date: 14 Oct 09 - 02:05 PM

I remember that. Great number.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Sugwash
Date: 14 Oct 09 - 02:11 PM

There used to be a tradition of 'Tommy Talker' bands in the West Riding of Yorkshire in the 20s and 30s, Tommy Talker being Yorkshire for kazoo (an Americanism apparently). They were mostly comic in nature and took part in carnivals and competitions.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 10:29 AM

Oh, Genie, I'm all choked up just thinking about it....

You're so right, it can be played badly or well.

Do I notice a thread among the "proud to play" threads? Bodhran, banjo, kazoo. Most of the instruments I have in my house and aspire to play well! Kazoo is the only one I have mastered. Seem to have been born to it ; )

One of my proudest moments was at an impromptu Getaway sing (for the life of me, I can't remember of what) in the dining hall @ Ramblewood. It was the year the Shellbacks were there, and at the right spot in the song, one of them elbowed me, "'ave you got yer kazoo, lass?!" Of course! Right here!

This past Getaway is actually the only one I can recall that I found not one opportunity to play it! Missed you, Jim!

Dani

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: GUEST,erbert
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 10:42 AM

Jimi Hendrix, comb & paper on "Crosstown Traffic"

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 10:58 AM

I keep threatening to do "Duelling Kazoos" (lots of falsetto and rolling Rs)

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 11:02 AM

I in fact do a wonderful adaptation of John Cage 4 33, on the kazoo,I set my metronome to 220,and get the whole thing over in 3 minutes.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Gurney
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 04:48 PM

Can you still get 'Hummazoos?' a round Kazoo that you could enfold within your palms and vamp like a mouth-organ.
Someone once wondered if I was actually "holding anything in my hands or doing that with my mouth".

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 09:52 PM

....speechless...

Dani

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: motleyjust
Date: 25 Jan 12 - 08:22 PM

Then come over to
http://kazoologist.org/
--More information than most people would ever want to know about Kazooz--
Celebrate National Kazoo Day--Some time between January 23 & 29th
or whenever it is convenient for the kazooist.


motleyjustmotleynothingbutmotley

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: foggers
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 03:43 AM

I love it when an old thread pops back up! We own 3 tin kazoos and do use them for one or two jug band songs we do.

But my favourite kazoo moment was when we had a work training even that took us all to a hotel overnight. Several of us with musical interests took a range of instruments. Thus it came to be that we were giving "Norwegian Wood" a good run for the money at about 11.45pm in the hotel bar (with some exceptional soprano kazooing in progress) when one of our terribly posh colleagues who had gone to bed came bursting back through the bar door in floral nightgown to berate us for the noise. It was like being scolded by Hyacinth Bucket and we giggled like kids. (We were ver' ver' drunk at the time).

Final note- I can personally testify to the tremendous musical power of Geoff the Duck's rendition of "Duelling Banjos" on kazoo and banjo. This was a highlight of the 2011 Mudgather in Wakefield and I sincerelt hope for a reprise (of the gathering and that particular number) in 2012.

And now I must cease my work avoidance and get back to marking.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 04:53 AM

One of the things I got from Santa this Xmas was a t-shirt "I play kazoo like a badass".
Nuff sed.

RtS

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 05:16 AM

Take a deep breath . . .

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 06:18 AM

Now that was what I call silly ;-)

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 06:24 AM

Re "voice modifier": do you people realise that brass instruments such as trumpet, trombone, horn, are actually modifiers of "lip rasps"?! (Or "raspberries", as the Brits say; rhyming slang for "raspberry tart -> fart".)

In other words: singing : kazoo playing = lip-rasping : brass playing.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 06:45 AM

My favourite kazoo track was Mark Spoelstra's France Blues on the Blues Project album.

The Mound City Blues Blowers are wrth a listen. My hero, Eddie Condon, used to play with them at one stage.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: motleyjust
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 09:46 PM

Grishka,
I have noticed the similarity between kazoo playing and brass playing.

I have also played a brass instrument like a kazoo,that is,hummimg or singing into it instead of lip buzzing.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: EBarnacle
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 11:21 PM

Try it with a salsa band. I was invited to join them on stage and we brought the house down.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 11:36 PM

Here is greatness - look how few check this out compared to all the bumkissers and sycophants. Love these guys!

a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LujdIKpDvv8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LujdIKpDvv8

Where is the congressional medal of honour for being good eggs? The rock and roll hall of fame?

Your honours system in the States is as crap as the English one!

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Jan 12 - 02:10 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LujdIKpDvv8

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: goatfell
Date: 27 Jan 12 - 08:07 AM

i play Kazoo and proud of it

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 27 Jan 12 - 07:24 PM

This fine instrument's most serious and enthusiastic exponent (there are those who say he overdid it) must surely have been Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker). Ok, so he was better known as a massively influential blues guitarist, but with a kazoo in his hands and mouth, who needed a horn section?

His almost obsessive affection for the instrument is hard to avoid on his earlier recordings but is not well reflected in what's made it on to Youtube. But here's one example: You better let my gal alone.

For a much finer earful of Tampa Red in full flow, go to the Amazon website where you can listen to a generous clip from his classic parody When I take my vacation in Harlem. Tragically the clip cuts off before the inevitable kazoo obligato, but by then you'll have been persuaded to shell out 99 cents for the whole track, or even to buy the album.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: GUEST,Jk23
Date: 28 Jan 12 - 12:32 AM

In some of his publicity materials, Vernon Dalhart noted that he was proficient with The Kazoo as well as the jew's harp.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 12 - 10:13 PM

Maybe you should check out a couple of Erik Darling's songs. he played the kazoo in fact it was the first time I ever heard one played musically.

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 28 Jan 12 - 11:09 PM

olddude: "ok I can't resist, I have to fill in for Spaw right now

"it is better than playing the skin flute" ... LOL "


THANKS!!! I'm glad you did the comparisons!!!
Must have been quite a 'shot'! Did it give you a buzz?!

Winkin' at ya'...

and Regards!

GfS

P.S.....and you really did that?????

Subject: RE: I play the Kazoo and I am proud of it
From: Max
Date: 28 Jan 12 - 11:50 PM

I wanted to blow the roof off of the joint and change the game. I really did.

Problem was, I couldn't find enough other folks "Proud of it" to see my vision thru. This here life ain't quite over yet though...