Ken Burns Country Music

[davewerden]

The new PBS series by Ken Burns about country music premiered last night. In the first volume he was looking at the roots of the style. He mentioned instruments like the banjo, which came from Africa, and other string instruments that were brought into the style. Then he explored the advent of minstrel shows and their bringing some of the new musical styles to people who had not heard them. So while showing a few ensembles that evolved, he showed the photo below. There was no mention of the brass instrument in the middle (a small euphonium or perhaps a baritone/tenor horn). For that matter, brass instruments didn't come up until later years, when he showed Jimmy Rodgers in a recording session with Louis Armstrong. In this photo, I can't quite imagine how this ensemble would have worked with the instruments shown, but...whatever. (Maybe it was used as a bass??)

[enhite]

You have sharp eyes, Dave. I completely missed the horn in the photo.

[davewerden]

You have sharp eyes, Dave. I completely missed the horn in the photo.

Are you familiar with the phrase "dumb luck"?

[adrian_quince]

(Maybe it was used as a bass??)

The Oberkrainer bands pioneered by Slavko Avensik use a euphonium as the bass instrument for a combo of clarinet, trumpet, guitar, accordion, and vocals, so it's not unheard of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=marg5wGTfqU