Getty H. Huffine
Encyclopedia
Getty Herschel Huffine was an American music composer
, trombonist and tuba
player. He was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky
on August 25, 1889 , the eldest of 4 children .
He was employed at an axe handle factory and, when the Bowling Green town band was organized in 1907, he was accepted on the condition that he play valve trombone, a trombone with a fixed slide and valves such as a euphonium
. He was a self taught musician. During the next five years Huffine taught himself tuba as well as the basics of harmony, counterpoint and composition. It is reputed that he spend his mature years as a tubist in professional bands (including Pat Conway's Concert Band) and possibly circus bands. It is reputed that he worked for C.L. Barnhouse
as a music engraver, however there are no substantiating records. In 1919, Huffine settled in Binghamton, New York
playing in the Endicott-Johnson
Shoe Factory band playing tuba, as well as filling in on trumpet, trombone, and string bass (based on information from Endicott-Johnson Co).
Huffine died in Binghamton on February 12, 1947 . The Endicott-Johnson shoe band, of which Getty Huffine was a member at the time of his death, played his famous march, "Them Basses", at the graveside.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, trombonist and tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
player. He was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
on August 25, 1889 , the eldest of 4 children .
He was employed at an axe handle factory and, when the Bowling Green town band was organized in 1907, he was accepted on the condition that he play valve trombone, a trombone with a fixed slide and valves such as a euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
. He was a self taught musician. During the next five years Huffine taught himself tuba as well as the basics of harmony, counterpoint and composition. It is reputed that he spend his mature years as a tubist in professional bands (including Pat Conway's Concert Band) and possibly circus bands. It is reputed that he worked for C.L. Barnhouse
C. L. Barnhouse Company
The C. L. Barnhouse Company is an American music publishing firm. It was founded in 1886 by Charles Lloyd Barnhouse. It has been headquartered in Oskaloosa, Iowa since 1891....
as a music engraver, however there are no substantiating records. In 1919, Huffine settled in Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
playing in the Endicott-Johnson
Endicott Johnson Corporation
The Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company was a prosperous manufacturer of shoes based in New York's Southern Tier, with factories mostly located in the area's Triple Cities of Binghamton, Johnson City, and Endicott...
Shoe Factory band playing tuba, as well as filling in on trumpet, trombone, and string bass (based on information from Endicott-Johnson Co).
Huffine died in Binghamton on February 12, 1947 . The Endicott-Johnson shoe band, of which Getty Huffine was a member at the time of his death, played his famous march, "Them Basses", at the graveside.
Compositions
- Basses on a Rampage March - pub. Karl King 1927
- The Bear Cat March - pub. C.L. Barnhouse 1924
- Dull Razor Blues - pub. Karl King 1929
- I B M March - pub. Karl King 1928
- The Syncopator March - pub. Karl King 1929
- Them Basses March - pub. Fillmore 1924
- Triple Cities March - pub. King 1930 (Binghamton, Endicott, Johnson City)
Additional Sources
- Bierley, Paul Edmund: Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music (info from L. Geiger)
- Geiger, Loren: Boombah Herald Newsletter
- Hoe Robert - producer of Heritage of the MarchHeritage of the MarchHeritage of the March is a series of 185 vinyl records of marches and galops released from 1973 to the early 1980s. It remains the largest single march music record series in history, featuring close to 3,000 different marches...
record series