Player Watch #20: Nick 'Souva' Larkey - '23 AA & '24 NM VC - plays game 100 v Hawthorn

[Snake_Baker]

The Beatles were big on clarinet parts.

.......and of course, Tom Waits:



Is there an instrument he hasn't utilised in his songs?

 

[big_e]

Who? Enquiring minds.

Was watching the Jazz at the Lincoln Centre tribute to Goodman yesterday. Great show.



(I picked up my clarinet again at the start of this year after a very long layoff. I’m still fairly crap but enjoying the heck out of it. I only listen to clarinet music now.)

This guy: https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz/lionel-hampton

Opened for him in a show when I was in New Orleans with a youth band and he came in and sat in with us for a couple of songs. He was 85 years old and was hunched over (decades of playing the vibes will do that, I guess) and shuffling like, well, an 85 year old man. But he got on stage and went bolt upright, and lit up. We did It Don't Mean a Thing, and I can't remember the other one.

 

[Hojuman]

The Beatles were big on clarinet parts.

.......and of course, Tom Waits:



Is there an instrument he hasn't utilised in his songs?

Theremin ?

 

[muttley45]

Blessed with talent, painter, musician, goal kicking, would probably be a pretty rare combo in AFL ranks atm.

 

[RobZombie]

This guy: https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz/lionel-hampton

Opened for him in a show when I was in New Orleans with a youth band and he came in and sat in with us for a couple of songs. He was 85 years old and was hunched over (decades of playing the vibes will do that, I guess) and shuffling like, well, an 85 year old man. But he got on stage and went bolt upright, and lit up. We did It Don't Mean a Thing, and I can't remember the other one.

Lionel Frickin Hampton? Oh man.

I typed that thinking it would be someone who played 3rd trombone in one of his big combos that I'd never heard of, but no, core member of the classic quartet and probably the greatest vibe player ever.

Wee bit jealous.

 

[big_e]

Lionel Frickin Hampton? Oh man.

I typed that thinking it would be someone who played 3rd trombone in one of his big combos that I'd never heard of, but no, core member of the classic quartet and probably the greatest vibe player ever.

Wee bit jealous.

And it was in the Blue Room at the Roosevelt Hotel (it was called something else when we were there), where Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller did live broadcasts from in the 30s, too. I was 17 then and just went with the flow - means more to me now than it did back then. But yeah, I've been quite lucky along the way.

 

[Merlin007]

Who? Enquiring minds.

Was watching the Jazz at the Lincoln Centre tribute to Goodman yesterday. Great show.



(I picked up my clarinet again at the start of this year after a very long layoff. I’m still fairly crap but enjoying the heck out of it. I only listen to clarinet music now.)

The Beatles were big on clarinet parts.

.......and of course, Tom Waits:



Is there an instrument he hasn't utilised in his songs?

I'm glad big Will didn't play the oboe or the tuba, then we'd really be struggling for contemporary reference points

 

[RobZombie]

I'm glad big Will didn't play the oboe or the tuba, then we'd really be struggling for contemporary reference points

If you dig out the old milk crate of records and pull up Rain Dogs, I think you’ll find that Tom Waits uses a tuba on Singapore. Side 1, track 1.

 

[Merlin007]

If you dig out the old milk crate of records and pull up Rain Dogs, I think you’ll find that Tom Waits uses a tuba on Singapore. Side 1, track 1.

Good spot, great ear, well done

 

[Twinkletoes]

This guy: https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz/lionel-hampton

Opened for him in a show when I was in New Orleans with a youth band and he came in and sat in with us for a couple of songs. He was 85 years old and was hunched over (decades of playing the vibes will do that, I guess) and shuffling like, well, an 85 year old man. But he got on stage and went bolt upright, and lit up. We did It Don't Mean a Thing, and I can't remember the other one.

Name dropping again?

 

[big_e]

Name dropping again?

 

[Bigeasy]

I met Jimmy Barnes' brother Swanee at a pub on the Gold Coast in 86 where he was playing in front of about 8 people. Nice bloke

 

[The Other Dean]

If you dig out the old milk crate of records and pull up Rain Dogs, I think you’ll find that Tom Waits uses a tuba on Singapore. Side 1, track 1.

Good spot, great ear, well done

Hmmm, hate to be that guy, but I'm pretty sure you'll find that's a trombone (played real low) that you hear on 'Singapore'. No tuba on Rain Dogs afaik.

Although he's definitely used tuba on some other tracks/albums - 'In The Neighbourhood' from Swordfishtrombones, 'God's Away On Business' from Blood Money, and the last couple of tracks on the Bad As Me album ('Hell Broke Luce' and 'New Years Eve') - are a few that come to mind.

But obviously it gets much weirder than tuba when it comes to Waits and his use of exotic instruments. Here's a few of the quirkier ones that have found their way onto his albums....

Chromelodeon, Whistle Calliope, T-Rodimba, Indonesian Seed Pod, Glass Harmonica, African Talking Drum, Conundrum, Swiss Hand Bells, Dousengoni, Chamberlin, West African Chumbus, Optigan (one of my fave odd instruments)....and the list goes on.

The last instrument I mentioned - the Optigan - is so cool it spawned a band. Optiganally Yours is the duo of Rob Crow (best known as the frontman of the brilliant band, Pinback) and his buddy, an Optigan aficionado by the name of Pea Hix. They use the Optigan as the basis for every song and they're well worth a listen.


Anyway, yeah, that Nick Larkey goes alright, hey?

 

[RobZombie]

Hmmm, hate to be that guy, but I'm pretty sure you'll find that's a trombone (played real low) that you hear on 'Singapore'. No tuba on Rain Dogs afaik.

Although he's definitely used tuba on some other tracks/albums - 'In The Neighbourhood' from Swordfishtrombones, 'God's Away On Business' from Blood Money, and the last couple of tracks on the Bad As Me album ('Hell Broke Luce' and 'New Years Eve') - are a few that come to mind.

But obviously it gets much weirder than tuba when it comes to Waits and his use of exotic instruments. Here's a few of the quirkier ones that have found their way onto his albums....

Chromelodeon, Whistle Calliope, T-Rodimba, Indonesian Seed Pod, Glass Harmonica, African Talking Drum, Conundrum, Swiss Hand Bells, Dousengoni, Chamberlin, West African Chumbus, Optigan (one of my fave odd instruments)....and the list goes on.

The last instrument I mentioned - the Optigan - is so cool it spawned a band. Optiganally Yours is the duo of Rob Crow (best known as the frontman of the brilliant band, Pinback) and his buddy, an Optigan aficionado by the name of Pea Hix. They use the Optigan as the basis for every song and they're well worth a listen.


Anyway, yeah, that Nick Larkey goes alright, hey?

Oh wow, the version of Singapore that was in my head is a quite different arrangement from the one on the record.

Also, there is almost nothing he hasn't used for percussion Rubbish bin lids, car bodies, fire hydrants, those bones that medical students buy for their anatomy classes ... come to think of it, I'm not sure he ever used actual drums.

 

[ferball]

The Beatles were big on clarinet parts.

.......and of course, Tom Waits:



Is there an instrument he hasn't utilised in his songs?

Electric rake (invented by the legendary Eugene Chadbourne.)

 

[ferball]

If you dig out the old milk crate of records and pull up Rain Dogs, I think you’ll find that Tom Waits uses a tuba on Singapore. Side 1, track 1.

Actually ... Never mind

 

[ferball]

Anyway, yeah, that Nick Larkey goes alright, hey?

It's no Neon Meate Dream of the Octofish but it's ok for a footy player.

Pretty sure you're right about that tuba.

RobZombie have you ever wondered what some of those songs sound like in St Tom's head?

 

[RobZombie]

It's no Neon Meate Dream of the Octofish but it's ok for a footy player.

Pretty sure you're right about that tuba.

RobZombie have you ever wondered what some of those songs sound like in St Tom's head?

When I listen to Bone Machine or The Black Rider, I'm not sure I really want to go there.

 

[Mav]

Hmmm, hate to be that guy, but I'm pretty sure you'll find that's a trombone (played real low) that you hear on 'Singapore'. No tuba on Rain Dogs afaik.

I call Busllshit.

 

[DuckYeah]

His guitar playing isnt too bad from someone has learned from uktimate guitar.. however his hand placement and finger movements have been taught.. needs more time.. the greatest guitar players spent years in their rooms playing and perfecting their craft. This also goes for elite sportsman, the dedication it takes to be great is beyond measurable

 

[Snake_Baker]

... come to think of it, I'm not sure he ever used actual drums.

Yeah, he did at least once...........



............well at least a snare..............along with a steel plate suspended with heavy wire and "bell plates".

In fact, there's a library dedicated to the cause:

Percussion Instruments -

tomwaitslibrary.info

 

[The Other Dean]

I call Busllshit.

Yeah, I call Busllshit, too.

 

[king of the road]

Actually ... Never mind

No. Don’t recollect Nirvana using a tuba on that album.

Or at all for that matter.

 

[big_e]

No. Don’t recollect Nirvana using a tuba on that album.

Or at all for that matter.

Ahem.

 

[Pykie]

Nursing a sore foot according to Mark McGowan.