[78-L] Use of double bass in dance bands

[Andrew Evans]

Fascinating stuff, this thread.

Some corroboration from the present: the Palast Orchester, based in Berlin
and still playing regularly in the style of Weimar Germany, has a bassist
(Bernd Hugo Dieterich, according to Wikipedia) who doubles on string bass
and sousaphone. I'm fairly sure I've seen him on German television playing a
tuba, too, and as far as I know the fingering's the same for both
instruments. Not that I could even lift either of them, far less get a note
out it.

And a tentative answer to John's question below: was it not Pops Foster who
was the first to make the  shift from arco to pizzicato? Not sure where I
read this, and am in the wrong continent to check my sources, but my guess
it would have been with the Luis Russell band, before 1930. He, too, also
played the tuba, of course.

Andrew, in Buellton CA, where it's about 25F warmer than in Luxembourg


Message: 11
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:27:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: George Anglin <packardmarmon1940 at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [78-L] Use of double bass in dance bands
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
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	<1351700844.81510.YahooMailClassic at web181003.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
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Great thread. Check out Paul Whiteman's recording "Just A Memory" on Victor
20881. Almost sounds like he's using two string bass instruments being
bowed, or maybe a combination of bowed string bass and tuba together. Also
Whiteman's recording of "Lover" on victor 24283, with lots of bowed bass.
Again are there more than one bass instrument being used or a combination of
tuba and bowed string bass? Ideas welcomed. Packard Marmon.

--- On Tue, 10/30/12, John Wright <vintage at jabw.demon.co.uk> wrote:

From: John Wright <vintage at jabw.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [78-L] Use of double bass in dance bands
To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 1:21 PM

Interesting thread on the string bass, I probably haven't caught every
message, but glad that someone, Rodger, mentioned that the instrument can be
bowed or plucked. The jazz preference has usually been to pluck but there
are early recordings where bowing is heard. Apologies if I missed this in
the discussion, but where/when/who? led the development of dance band and
jazz playing to favour plucking?


John Wright