Monday YouTube Fix: Matt Perrine, Lew Soloff, Ray Anderson & Bobby Previte
Andrew Hitz
With all due respect to Ray Anderson, Lew Soloff, and Bobby Previte I put Matt's name first because he is one of my hero's. The first time I heard him play the sousaphone I was driving into New Orleans and listening to the great radio station WWOZ. He was playing with Bonerama and the tune was called Blues for Ben from the album 'Live at the Old Pointe'. I started fist pumping and yelling woo-hoos! I had never heard sousaphone playing like this in my life.
They didn't say what the tune was or who was playing and this was long before the Shazam app so I called the station. Evidently I asked the DJ with such urgent enthusiasm who in the hell I just heard playing the sousaphone that he literally cracked up. After he told me it was Matt he said to stay tuned for the song. He then mentioned the eager sousaphone fan and played another track of Matt's with the Tin Men. That morning in New Orleans changed my conception of what a sousaphone could do.
I had the privilege of meeting Matt last spring when we did clinics on consecutive days at his alma mater in Sacramento. It was great to put a face to the name and he is as nice a guy as you could ever hope to meet. Not every day you get to meet one of your heroes!
Enjoy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WhRMFsVT5o&feature=share]