“Tuba Sin Fronteras”, aka “Professor Beautiful”.
The music in action is at the ProfessorBeautiful channel
Cozy with jazz & blues of every kind, latin of every kind
(Colombian, Brazilian bossa and forro, Cuban, Puerto Rican, tango...);
also Croatian, Portuguese fado,
soul, hip hop, klezmer, Irish and Scots, R&B, rock, classical mostly solo,
free improv.
Whisper-quiet to loud; any key, rhythm or tempo; as bass or as lead.
Wesleyan days
Discovered Birdbath, the Conn 20J recording tuba. Love at first toot.
Studied with Ken McIntyre and Sam Rivers at Wesleyan.
A charter member in the '70s of Talking Drum, an African and reggae band featuring Abraham Azdzenyah.
Performed with Ed Blackwell, who ended our concert with "Hubba hubba tuba!".
Quinnipiac Jazz Festival 1971
Our group, the Creative Black Arts Sextet,
was denounced as "dangerous",
and yet Birdbath and I were conferred 'best miscellaneous', tied with Stanley Clarke.
My prize was an empty envelope. They SAID it was worth $200 toward Berklee School of Music.
Professor McIntyre said, "What do you want to go there for, you already know how to play jazz."
Got a nod as "musician deserving wider recognition" in Downbeat Magazine 1971 by Coltrane biographer Bill Cole.
Boston days
Meeting some extraordinary musicians, composers, lifelong friends
Steve Nickerson, Tom Trobaugh, and Mitch Nelin, at a Cambridgeport party at 4am.
Richard Brookens, the "Yellow Bell" virtuosos on woodwinds, and spiritual leader.
There are some wonderful recordings from that time.
Pittsburgh days
In Pittsburgh, I (we?) gradually became a fixture in many music scenes,
Performed at well over 200 distinct venues in Pittsburgh and vicinity.
Most active groups have been:
- Alma Mura
- Bésame
- Blues Orphans
- Klezlectic
- Musuhallpa
- Ernie Hawkins
- Molly in the Crowd
- Charles Wallace
- Daryl Fleming
- Unspunt with Lee Robinson
- Opek 15
- Onda Brasil
- New Orleans trio with Nelson Harrison
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Occasionally with Geña and Peña, Miguel Sague (II and III), Preach Freedom, Moe Seager, and many others.
Here are a few more musical activities and special events:
- Annual soloist for the Run Around the Square 10K race.
- Frequent performer with Musicians With a Mission, in nursing homes, rehab facilities, assisted living.
- Recorded CDs with Ernie Hawkins (2), Bésame, Blues Orphans, Musuhallpa,
and on individual tracks for Daryl Fleming, Christopher Jones, Peter King, Anne Feeney, Bruce Hoffman, Ethan Winograd.
- Accorded Soloist status with Pittsburgh’s famed Tuesday Musical Club.
- Charlie Haden Liberation Orchestra at Hidden Valley.
- World premiere of Three Birds' multimedia Artesana with Jennifer Orchard and Jessica Hohman.
- Solo performance for Gynecologic Cancer Foundation.
- The Beck Songbook with Richard Gartner orchestra at Club Cafe.
- Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre with Klezlectic.
- Guest performer at three restaurants in Bogotá.
- Emerging Legends series at Cup and Chaucer, duo with Janice Coppola.
- Alton Merrill dissertation concert.
- Jem Finer’s world premiere of Shortplayer, for seven instruments