Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra were a group of six American
saxophonists who played as a saxophone
ensemble in recordings and live performance. They were based in Santa Cruz, California
. The group was notable for its contrabass saxophone
, which is 203 centimetres tall with a 43-centimetre-diameter bell. It is a very low-pitched
instrument that is very rarely heard. The instrument, played by the group's leader and founder Don Stevens, was formerly owned by Robert Seaton of Louisville, Kentucky, a noted civil engineer and amateur musician who played the sax on WHAS big band programs in the 1920's and 30's. Mr. Seaton found the contrabass saxophone in a shop in Newark, New Jersey in the 1960s. Inscriptions on the instrument indicate that it was produced for the US Army Band in 1902. Mr. Seaton sold the instrument to the Nuclear Whales sometime before his death in 1990.
On 29 September 2003 the band played a concert
at the concert hall of the National Library, Beijing
, China
. In 2002 they conceived the concept of 500 saxophone players from the US
and abroad joining 500 Chinese
saxophone players to play an event on the Great Wall of China
. However, this has yet to come off, and it appears that the group has disbanded.
1989 - Whalin'
1991 - Thar They Blow
1992 - Gone Fission
1997 - Isotopia
1999 - Fathom This: A Retrospective
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
saxophonists who played as a saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
ensemble in recordings and live performance. They were based in Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. The group was notable for its contrabass saxophone
Contrabass saxophone
The contrabass saxophone is the lowest-pitched extant member of the saxophone family proper. It is extremely large and heavy , and is pitched in the key of E, one octave below the baritone.-History:The contrabass...
, which is 203 centimetres tall with a 43-centimetre-diameter bell. It is a very low-pitched
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
instrument that is very rarely heard. The instrument, played by the group's leader and founder Don Stevens, was formerly owned by Robert Seaton of Louisville, Kentucky, a noted civil engineer and amateur musician who played the sax on WHAS big band programs in the 1920's and 30's. Mr. Seaton found the contrabass saxophone in a shop in Newark, New Jersey in the 1960s. Inscriptions on the instrument indicate that it was produced for the US Army Band in 1902. Mr. Seaton sold the instrument to the Nuclear Whales sometime before his death in 1990.
On 29 September 2003 the band played a concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
at the concert hall of the National Library, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. In 2002 they conceived the concept of 500 saxophone players from the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and abroad joining 500 Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
saxophone players to play an event on the Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
. However, this has yet to come off, and it appears that the group has disbanded.
Discography
1989 - Whalin'
1991 - Thar They Blow
1992 - Gone Fission
1997 - Isotopia
1999 - Fathom This: A Retrospective