Phat Bottom Tubas
Program Notes
an album by...
The Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble
R. Winston Morris, director
Personnel
The Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble
Euphoniums
- Ben McMillan
- Adam Goad
- Keith Kile
- Aaron Marsee
- Lindsey Murphy
- Curtis Prichard
Tubas
- Jesse Chavez
- Corey Allen
- Jared Box
- Josh Butterfield
- Chris Crunk
- Jared Fletcher
- Kyle Huron
- Kenji Kabe
- Martin McFarlane
- Kyle Newland
- Travis Robbins
- Josh Rose
- Daniel Smith
- Mark Smith
- Kevin Tupper
TTTE "Rhythm Kings"
- Featuring special guest guitartist:
- Professor Kerry "DOC" Stone
- Lonnie Breland- piano
- Mark Smith - bass
- Andrew Sharp- drums
Program
- Phat Bottom Tubas ..........Brian May / arr. George A. Brozak
(1) Doc Stone, guitar - Get Down Tonight..........Harry Wayne Casey / arr. Martin McFarlane
(1) Doc Stone, guitar - Another One Bites the Dust.........John Deacon / arr. Ben McMillan
(1) Doc Stone, guitar - You Dropped a Tuba on Me .....Charlie Wilson/Lonnie Simmons/Rudy Taylor / arr. Josh Rose
(1) Lonnie Breland, keyboard - Boogie Nights........Michael Penn / arr. Jesse Chavez
(1) Doc Stone, guitar
(2) Jesse Chavez, tuba - Spinning Wheel........David Clayton Thomas / arr. Cory Dawson
(1) Ben McMillan, euphonium - Go Down Gamblin'........Thomas & Lipsius / arr. Joshua Hauser
(1) Kyle Newland,tuba
(2) Doc Stone, guitar
(3) Cory Allen, tuba & Curtis Prichard, euphonium - The Kitchen Sink.......................................Bill Cherry}
(1) Lonnie Breland, keyboard
(2) Jesse Chavez, tuba (3) Martin McFarlane, tuba (4) Curtis Prichard, euphonium (5) Doc Stone, guitar (6) Ben McMillan, euphonium (7) Amy Merritt, euphonium - Pan-Octatubular Funk.....................................Bill Cherry
(1) Kyle Huron, tuba
(2) Ben McMillan, euphonium - I Wish You Love............Charles L. Trenet / arr. Glenn Martin
(1) Kyle Newland,tuba - I Want You.....................Horace Silver / arr. Glenn Martin
(1) Kyle Huron, tuba
(2) Amy Merritt, euphonium - Hippity.......................................................Bill Cherry
(1) Curtis Prichard, euphonium
(2) Doc Stone, guitar - Tank! ..............................Yoko Kanno / arr. Jon Oliver
(1) Ben McMillan, euphonium
Phat Bottom Tubas
CD recording review featuring the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble, R. Winston Morris director. (6570-MCD). Mark Records, 10815 Bodine Road , Clarence , NY 14031-0406 . (716) 759-2600. www.markcustom.com. $15.
Fall, 2006 issue: International Tuba/Euphonium Association Journal
The great pragmatist educator/philosopher, John Dewey, once said “People learn to do what they do.” (Legendary music educator, Charles Leonhard added the corollary: “…and not much else.”) Entering his 40 th year at Tennessee Technological University , R. Winston Morris has lived by that maxim when it comes to an approach to working with his now world famous Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble. Each student in his ensemble (regardless of major, etc.) is required to arrange something for the group (even if it's just a few bars) as a class requirement each year. The educational results have been shared with the larger profession in live performances and on recordings such as Phat Bottom Tubas for many years. Have you encouraged your students to arrange? This album should provide the impetus to do just that. On this disc, outstanding arrangements by current and former students (Martin McFarlane, Ben McMillan, Josh Rose, Jesse Chavez, Bill Cherry, and Jon Oliver), old friends of the TTTE (George Brozak, Cory Dawson, and Glen Martin), and TTU trombone teacher (and outstanding euphoniumist, as well as composer/arranger), Dr. Joshua Hauser, make for an entertaining evening's listening.
This recording was made in the tradition of another recent release by TTTE, Play that Funky Tuba Right, Boy (4757-MCD Mark Records). Like Play that Funky Tuba , it was recorded before a live audience of outstanding high school students at the Dixie Classic Festival. The recording engineering work by Mark Morette and the editing and mastering work by Christopher Chaffee is superb. To produce a recording with the clarity and balance presented here in a live setting is nothing short of remarkable, but given the impressive catalogue of euphonium and tuba recordings by this company for approaching a half century now, this reviewer wouldn't expect less.
The performances are consistently outstanding throughout the recording. While all the arrangements are very good, my favorites include Hauser's setting of the Blood, Sweat and Tears standard, “Go Down Gamblin',” Jesse Chavez's arrangement of “Boogie Nights,” “Another One Bites the Dust” arranged by Ben McMillan, and Glen Martin's arrangement of “I Wish You Love.” While the student arrangements may not be commercially available, I hope that Bill Cherry's original tunes will be made available soon. They're all good audience music, but they're also excellent jazz teaching material.
Time for disclosure: this reviewer spent four days in Cookeville , Tennessee in April of 2006 during the week prior to the live performance where this recording was made. I observed several rehearsals of the TTTE and was able to see/hear the work in its late stages of progress. I also had the opportunity to talk with some of the students. Believe it or not, almost none of the students (including the ones you hear soloing on this recording) are jazz improvisers. They write out and memorize their solos, getting guidance from listening to recordings and advice from TTU faculty. As a beginning jazz improviser myself, I can tell you that this is a great bridge to learning, and one that has proven effective for a lot of students in the TTTE over the years. This recording is a testament to great teaching and allowing students to “do.” It would be an ideal Christmas gift for friends and relatives who enjoy pop and jazz music and who need a lesson relative to the viability of the euphonium and tuba in those genres. Get it, listen to it, and be prepared to smile.
Jerry A. Young
The University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
