My America 2: Destinations, Jim Self, Basset Hound Music

Notes (by Jim Self JS, with Kim Scharnberg KS)

(JS) Twenty-five years ago, I produced a “novelty” tuba CD called My America. It featured songs from the various parts of the country where I had lived and worked. I asked composer/ arranger Kim Scharnberg to write the charts. Musically, it covered a lot of styles from Dixieland to country to silly and humorous. Kim has a brilliant musical “sense of humor” and command of styles. He’s kind of a modern-day Spike Jones. Five years ago Kim and I decided to do a sequel—My America 2 “Destinations”. This time we chose songs with city, state and area titles. All were hit tunes in their day, but Kim did his “magic” creating unusual and “hip” versions of them. Over the years I have asked several arrangers to do “whole” albums with me. I knew each writer to be unique and creative and that, when I give them a lot of space to “do their thing”, the results are always wonderful—and they love that FREEDOM! Kim Scharnberg is that kind of talent and it shows in every note he writes. So now we have decided to do one more. This time a Country-Western CD, My America 3—“My Country”. With this, my 24th solo recording, I continue my journey to play my favorite songs on my Tuba and Fluba. It’s a very personal quest! Both Kim and I love all types of music from Bluegrass to Opera—as long as it’s played well.

(KS) I can always count on my longtime friend and colleague Jim Self to do unusual, one-of-a-kind projects, and this third one in his My America series is no exception! We’ve been talking about doing an album with country music influences for several years and it’s finally a reality! A crazy, unique blend of the very best jazz, country, rock and studio players in LA—it’s an unexpected and fun journey that I’m pretty certain hasn’t been done before!

(JS) After 50 years in Los Angeles, I’m constantly reminded of what great musicians we have here. Where else could one find a depth of playing, reading and studio “smarts” as we have—and all in the AFM 47 Union.

This CD is dedicated to my dear friend, Terry Cravens. He’s a bass trombonist, earned performance degrees from the University of Louisville, the Academy of Music in Vienna, and in 1972 completed doctoral studies at the University of Southern California. He was a member of the Louisville Orchestra and the Kentucky Opera Association Orchestra from 1961-1965, the West Point Band from 1966-1969, and the Austin (Texas) Symphony. He’s a member of the Pasadena Symphony, Los Angeles Master Choral Sinfonia, and has been a member of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra since its inception. He also played over two hundred performances of the Phantom of the
Opera musical at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles. He’s played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under such notable conductors as Zubin Mehta, Carlos Maria Giulini, and Erich Leinsdorf. His background also includes 22 first edition recordings with the Louisville Orchestra under Robert Whitney. Terry was a faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin from 1972-1976. From 1976 to the present, he’s been Professor of Trombone at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Ramo Music Faculty Award for outstanding teaching. Terry’s been a close friend for 55 years. He was the first musician I met when I came to L.A. to do DMA work. Together we’ve been the Bass Trombone/Tuba of the Pasadena Symphony and the Los Angeles Opera. He has a beautiful sound and we blend together so well. Terry is a very funny man, too, and can “ad lib” jokes for hours. For over 30 years, Terry was my “boss” as head of the Winds and Percussion department at USC. For such a prominent classical musician, he “loves” country music at lot—showing his Kentucky roots. That’s why I dedicate this this CD to him!