Page 1 of 1
Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 2:41 pm
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.
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:36 pm
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!
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2026 8:26 am
by bowerybum
I don't think that's Sam Pilafian. I believe it's Ellis Wean............................
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2026 8:38 am
by arpthark
Yeah, Sam had a kind of curly afro-ish hairdo and soul patch when he was that young. Looks like Mr. Wean.
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2026 9:48 am
by the elephant
BRIAN………
hahaha…
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2026 10:53 am
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.
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2026 1:37 pm
by Porky
Definitely Ellis wean. Sam was around though. Both Sam and Ellis were at Tanglewood together around 1970.
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2026 3:06 pm
by Mary Ann
Sam was six months younger than I am. And that isn't him ---
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2026 1:16 pm
by poomshanka
That's Ellis.
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2026 3:21 pm
by the elephant
That ad has always made me laugh. It clearly says 186-5U and clearly shows a 186-4U…
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2026 4:29 pm
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!
Re: Cool Boston Symphony clip
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2026 9:41 pm
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"