Musicians: Jim Self (tuba, fluba); Gary Foster (alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute, alto flute); Pete Christlieb (tenor saxophone); Dan Higgins (soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, flute); Brad Dechter (alto saxophone); Terry Trotter, Tom Ranier, Mike Lang (piano); Jim Fox (guitar); John Magnussen (vibraphone, percussion); Gayle Levant (harp); Tom Warrington, Dave Carpenter, Ken Wild (bass); Steve Houghton, Steve Schaeffer, Ralph Humphrey (drums); Brian Kilgore (percussion); Roger Newman, conductor; recorded and mixed by Shawn Murphy
Jay Rosen Strings: Jay Rosen (concertmaster); Bruce Dukov, Sid Page, Margaret Wooten, Becky Bunnell, Ron Folsom, Mark Robertson, Marc Sazer, Barbra Porter, Mike Markman, Eric Hosler, Liane Mautner, Julie Gigante, Berj Garabedian, Sarah Thornblade, Harris Goldman (violins); Bob Becker, Jennie Hansen, Piotr Jandula (violas); Tony Cooke, Cecilia Tsan, Jerry Kessler, Dane Little, Tim Landauer, Matt Cooker (cellos); Charles Nenneker (string bass)
Jim Self's tuba has been heard on countless television and movie sound tracks, including the sound of the mother ship in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Self has worked with artists as diverse as Mel Tormé, Don Ellis, and Jon Hendricks. The Los Angeles-based tubist has just released InnerPlay on his Basset Hound label.
For this recording, he has brought in three of the most highly regarded saxophonists in the L.A. recording scene, namely Gary Foster, Pete Christlieb, and Dan Higgins. Saxophonist Brad Dechter (orchestrator for The West Wing and Moonlighting) provides superb arrangements.
According to Self, the tuba is an instrument that is often caricatured as loud, comical, and ponderous. He likes to think of it as also soft, sensitive, fluent, and classy. This soft, fluent side is amply demonstrated in tunes such as "Pensativa" and "I Loves You, Porgy," the latter played in solo with harpist Gayle Levant.
The fluba, an instrument invented by Self that is a combination of tuba and flugelhorn, is also featured on some of the tracks, most notably on Jobim's "No More Blues."
by Linda Goshay
Copyright Jazz Now, September 2005, all rights reserved.
Jazz Now Interactive September 2005 Vol 15 No. 5 - Table of Contents
Comments: mailto:jazznow@sbcglobal.net