TromboneChat

I just checked out Raul de Souza on YouTube. Wow! What a valve bone player he is. Incredible talent. He is playing a 4 valve valve bone. Anyone know what model this is by chance. I've never seen a 4 valve valve bone before. Check him out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV5J4sEl1rA

The horn looks like it is a Calicchio (known for custom trumpet mouthpieces) and a custom to boot. Note the bottom of the engraving where it appears to say "built for Raul de Souza." You can see the bell a couple of times during the video.

A Calicchio. Must be a custom build.

I've enjoyed Raul de Souza's playing for a LONG time!! He hasn't received the recognition he deserves!!

Eric

Love this guy. He usually seems to be playing a Bach 42B.

I don’t think he’s playing a Bach, but I can be wrong.

I do know he developed his own valve trombone: the Souzabone.

I can find it’s an “electric trombone” but I really don’t understand why. Think it’s a larger bore than usual and four valves.

PaKETaZ wrote: Sat Jun 16, 2018 4:30 pm I can find it’s an “electric trombone” but I really don’t understand why. Think it’s a larger bore than usual and four valves.

It looks like he’s using a dedicated mic (the one on his right) for the special effects. You can see him press the pedals.

CheeseTray wrote: Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:03 am The horn looks like it is a Calicchio (known for custom trumpet mouthpieces) and a custom to boot. Note the bottom of the engraving where it appears to say "built for Raul de Souza." You can see the bell a couple of times during the video.

I believe it is a Calicchio. I was able to freeze the video and that's what it looks like on a close up of the bell. Wow! What a player this guy is.

Found this video of de Souza with Frank Rosolino. He's playing slide bone on this and is tremendous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx1p2no8mgE

Davidus1 wrote: Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:29 pm Found this video of de Souza with Frank Rosolino. He's playing slide bone on this and is tremendous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx1p2no8mgE

Great playing! Laughed out loud when they listed the composer as Tom Jobim though. Must have been Antonio Carlos Jobim's American cousin

bassbone wrote: Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:54 pm
Great playing! Laughed out loud when they listed the composer as Tom Jobim though. Must have been Antonio Carlos Jobim's American cousin

He was also known as Tom Jobim...

greenbean wrote: Sun Jun 17, 2018 12:40 am

bassbone wrote: Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:54 pm
Great playing! Laughed out loud when they listed the composer as Tom Jobim though. Must have been Antonio Carlos Jobim's American cousin

He was also known as Tom Jobim...

Cool! Didn't know that.

greenbean wrote: Sun Jun 17, 2018 12:40 am

bassbone wrote: Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:54 pm
Great playing! Laughed out loud when they listed the composer as Tom Jobim though. Must have been Antonio Carlos Jobim's American cousin

He was also known as Tom Jobim...

Did not know that! (obviously). I just leaped to the conclusion that it was anglicized by whoever filmed this. Oops

I think in his heyday he used a pick up in his mouthpiece which you can make out in this album cover.

Think he plays a Yamaha slide bone know from the wrap.

Sweet Lucy is such a kickin' track of his such a great groove. Thought for a while there we might have a commercially successful trombone artist but it only lasted a few albums and in the end went very Disco with 'Till Tomorrow Comes'..... shame


bellEnd

From what I remember about the "Souzabone". It`s a one of a kind 4 valve trombone in "C".
Calicchio did make it for him and said that it was difficult to make so "Never again".

Yes on Raul da Souza! His valve thing is cool, but his slide playing rocks! Was identified with the Bach 42B back in the day. And when I played regularly, back in only a slightly more recent day, RdS was a big influence, particularly as I was drawn strongly toward Brazilian music at that time, and also found myself using a 42B on a wide range of gigs. IRRC, he started on bass - not bass trombone - and switched to trombone in early adulthood...

It’s so cool to see Raul de Souza getting some much deserved love and admiration! In addition to valve and slide bones, he spent a good portion of his career playing tenor sax.

His time and feel are genre defining, in my opinion.

He had a close association for years with George Duke, Airto, and Flora Purim, among others.

YouTube can be a beautiful thing!

I sttudied with Raul Desousa in the early 70s, when he was living in Cambridge Mass.
He didn't speak a lot English back then, but I got the gist of what he was saying.
He wrote out a bunch of lessons for me, (which I still have), and I would pay attention to what he was whistling as he shopped in the grocery store, I'd go home and practice that. I always loved his playing.
The first time I saw him in Boston, I was in love with his lyrical playing, which didn't seem like a bunch of licks. He told me that his first instrument was tuba. I moved away, and he moved to LA, I never saw him again, but I kept track of all his recordings.
He passed not long ago,. Long live the musical beauty of Raul Desouza!