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Drums and Tuba: El Tubador/The Peleton (single)
[Doublesalt]

Granted, drums and tubas do not comprise one of the worlds greatest combinations. Such a pairing is not better than chocolate and peanut butter, cheese and crackers, or even green eggs and ham (although that last examples greatness is probably highly debatable). But this particular brass/percussion musical coupling isnt nearly as strange as it may seem, either. In rock music, the bass and drums hold down the rhythmic bottom of most grooves, and so for this New Yorkbased outfit, a four-stringed bass is merely replaced by the brass n belled variety. Furthermore, guitarist Neal McKeeby is also a member of this unit, along with tuba player Brian Wolff and drummer Anthony Nozero, which makes Drums & Tuba an oddball power trio, instead. 

This new release is brief, to put it mildly, and only consists of two instrumentals. The first track is titled El Tubador and appears to be patterned after a Spanish matador theme. One first has to wonder how helpful a tuba would be in any bullfight, but its probably just a playful song title, anyhow. Nozeros drumming shines brightest here, as he comes off unrestrained, much like a free jazz drummer.

The other tune, The Peleton, plays out a little bit like ominous movie soundtrack music. Its lightly funky and underpinned by a clock-like clip-clopping beat. This is the place where McKeeby makes his guitar presence most strongly felt, sounding echo-y one moment and downright jazzy the next.  

Even though the concept behind Drums & Tuba sounds far-fetched, this sampling of its music reveals it be the start of something truly cool.

Drums and Tuba Official Website

Check Amazon, Insound and CD Universe to purchase this album.

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