Cool Boston Symphony clip

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Casca Grossa
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Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by Casca Grossa »

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BnuYB ... tid=wwXIfr

Pretty cool old BSO clip. It looks like Sam playing along side Chester, but I’m not certain. I also see Rolf Smedvig in the trumpet section and David Ohanian in the horn section.
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hrender (Mon Sep 14, 2026 5:55 pm) • humBell (Mon Sep 14, 2026 6:15 pm) • the elephant (Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:35 pm) • tubatodd (Tue Sep 15, 2026 7:22 am) • Stryk (Tue Sep 15, 2026 8:14 am) and one more user


Mirafone 184 CC
Blokepiece Imperial
Soon to be 5 valve Lignatone/Amati Eb
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the elephant
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by the elephant »

Cool! I did not know that Sam was *that* much older than I am! I was only eight when that was filmed!
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tubatodd (Tue Sep 15, 2026 7:32 am) • Casca Grossa (Tue Sep 15, 2026 10:51 am)
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bowerybum
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by bowerybum »

I don't think that's Sam Pilafian. I believe it's Ellis Wean............................
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the elephant (Tue Sep 15, 2026 9:47 am)
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arpthark
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by arpthark »

Yeah, Sam had a kind of curly afro-ish hairdo and soul patch when he was that young. Looks like Mr. Wean.
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the elephant
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by the elephant »

BRIAN………

hahaha…
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Casca Grossa (Tue Sep 15, 2026 10:51 am)
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Casca Grossa
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by Casca Grossa »

arpthark wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2026 8:38 am Yeah, Sam had a kind of curly afro-ish hairdo and soul patch when he was that young. Looks like Mr. Wean.
That was my first thought, but it was the 70’s and thought maybe Sam was going with a more straight hair look. The physical playing style looks like Sam though.
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the elephant (Tue Sep 15, 2026 1:30 pm)
Mirafone 184 CC
Blokepiece Imperial
Soon to be 5 valve Lignatone/Amati Eb
Blokepiece Solo
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Porky
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by Porky »

Definitely Ellis wean. Sam was around though. Both Sam and Ellis were at Tanglewood together around 1970.
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Mary Ann
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by Mary Ann »

Sam was six months younger than I am. And that isn't him ---
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poomshanka
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by poomshanka »

That's Ellis.

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the elephant
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by the elephant »

That ad has always made me laugh. It clearly says 186-5U and clearly shows a 186-4U…
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York-aholic
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by York-aholic »

the elephant wrote: Sun Sep 20, 2026 3:21 pm That ad has always made me laugh. It clearly says 186-5U and clearly shows a 186-4U…
There are quite a few like that in a Miraphone catalog I have and in different ads. Some say CC when clearly BBb and vice versa as well as the number of valves.

What an outfit in that last picture!
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the elephant (Sun Sep 20, 2026 5:06 pm)
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
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AvrTuba
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Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip

Post by AvrTuba »

I have a funny Ellis anecdote.

I was studying with Gene Dowling and Ellis was teaching at UBC in Vancouver. Gene was giving a lesson to one of Ellis' students who came over to Victoria and was telling Gene a story (I don't remember all the details, just trying to convey to absurdity) that went something like this:

"Well, Ellis says that for the Mahler 1 solo, he takes his 4th slide out and puts a cotton ball in to muffle the sound and his uses his giant clear mouthpiece and watches the video in super slow-mo and analyze his buzz to make sure he can play as softly as possible. What do you do for that solo?

And Gene said: "...I just play it softly"
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York-aholic (Sun Sep 20, 2026 11:29 pm)
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