Rarely in America does a musical act cause you to rethink music, to appreciate music in a new way. As a kid, I recall thinking this about the Beatles: Everything felt so new. I had a similar feeling listening to Tuba Skinny. Perhaps “America’s Best Busking (street musicians) Band,” Tuba Skinny evokes a newness in each tune they play; you don’t know what to expect. But it all sounds pleasant, a “happy-to-be-alive” feeling, as denoted by everyone (including toddlers) tapping their feet. One cannot help but dance.
But who are Tuba Skinny & why are they so important? Tuba Skinny was founded in 2009 in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They were all products of the Musician’s Village founded as part of the rebuilding effort of Nola. Imagine eight talented musicians, wunderkids if you will, forming a band with music all around them. Such a model environment should foster great music and it did, although not in the traditional manner, but a traditional (old school) jazz manner, a seemingly odd (and risky) musical direction to take.
Tuba Skinny went back to the roots of jazz, busking as musicians in the street. They learned in the streets and, most importantly, took us away from amplified sound. Come to think of it, why do we need amplified sound? Why does the music I hear today have to be electric? The first time you hear Tuba Skinny you will realize that electronic music hides several nuances that make music nice, such as countermelody, silence, and natural transitions. I can’t really put it into words, but it definitely feels different: It made me realize that such nuances were about to go extinct, until Tuba Skinny came along.
Tuba Skinny consists of eight talented, multi-instrument, players of banjo, trombone, sax, clarinet, washboard, percussion, tuba, & acoustic guitar: A rather odd concoction, unless you’re in New Orleans (or Pismo Beach). No one instrument dominates the band, they all seem to share an equal footing. Because of this democracy, it forces you to detect these differences. Tuba Skinny’s music is interactive, in that it forces you to listen more closely. This is not background music, you become part of the music (via dancing). At the end of their tunes you seem happier than before.
Another angle on Tuba Skinny is that if you take away all of the electronic effects on a band, then their true musicality shines through. These musicians are all extremely talented, the fact that they humble themselves for the good of the team denotes their dedication to music, for the good of music. You won’t find the brash soloist proclaiming “look at me, I’m a star,” perhaps the curse of modern jazz (apres Satchmo). No, this band is more about, “look how WE can solo together.” This, to me, is refreshing: Whatever makes the music sound best. I go to hear a band, not one person in that band...it is a collective sound I am paying to see. Tuba Skinny is all about sharing.
Why have you not heard of Tuba Skinny? First, this may have to do with their busking nature. Every performance is live, as buskers aren’t into music studios (& their canned effects). The busker lives off of what they play live. There is no room for bad days, poor performances, and non-crowd pleasing tunes. Else, you may not get paid. Second, the manner in which their music diffused was entirely grassroots. People started recording them and posted these live busking videos to YouTube. They have never done a glitzy music video and they have several albums, but their following was almost completely generated as a viral YouTube busking sensation. Hence, while an old-school band, their publicity is 21st Century. Then again, maybe some of you HBO subscribers may recognize Tuba Skinny from 2012’s “The Treme.” Here’s a good 2-minute clip from that show that depicts the essence of Tuba Skinny. Check it out if you can, it will give you a sense of what I am talking about here: https://youtu.be/vzcHeb1lJcY
What else is different about Tuba Skinny? They compose their own tunes, recreate old ones in a new way, and certainly don’t need sheet music. I always hate it when I go to see a band play behind music stands, that’s not professional, why am I paying for this? Tuba Skinny can really go in any direction and many of them will play multiple instruments during a tune. Every tune sounds different each time they play it, as they rely on collective improvisation, another dying musical art form. They trade fours a lot between instruments and play off each other. What great listeners they must be. And perhaps this is what Tuba Skinny really teaches us: How to listen.
Where can we hear Tuba Skinny on the Central Coast? Actually this is the easy part. The short answer is there will be seven sets from October 24th-27th as part of Pismo and Arroyo Grande’s 43rd Jazz Jubilee By the Sea. We are having a special preview performance at the SLO Farmers Market on Thursday, October 24th. This is a free busking show hosted by SLO Farmers Market Faves, the Crustacea Jazz Band. Thanks to the SLO Community Foundation for making this possible. So just show up to the SLO Farmer’s Market on Thursday, October 24, at around 6 pm, and listen for the buskers. The other, more focused, way to hear Tuba Skinny is at various Pismo Beach & Arroyo Grande venues on Friday through Sunday, October 25-27th, where you have your choice of six shows at five venues, to suit your own schedule. Prices are reasonable and flexible (e.g., day passes) and you can really get a good live listen at one of our five 100-400 capacity venues (go to pismojazz.com for more info). If the Thursday Farmer’s Market show in SLO is rained out, we will make arrangements on Sunday, October 27th, to place Tuba Skinny in Pismo Beach. This is another free concert, thanks to generous donations from the cities of Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, & Community Foundations, as well as local Patrons of Pismo’s Basin Street Regulars non-profit jazz club.
Please try to catch Tuba Skinny at one of their shows. Especially take the kids to see Tuba Skinny, as they may have never heard this type of music before. We have a special price for young people at our festival, only $30 for young people 30 years old or less. (Children under 12 free). These badges will only be available at the door. This is only Tuba Skinny’s 2nd West Coast appearance. They previously appeared at 2016’s California World Fest in Grass Valley, CA...about 60 miles east of Sac (one can consider it Cal-Neva & hence, not coastal). We don’t anticipate them coming back soon, as they operate out of New Orleans. But this year the Jubilee By the Sea has a treat, sure to tap your feet. Tuba Skinny: We can’t wait!
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