Ralph Hepola - Tuba

Ralph Hepola

Label: Spectrum Recordings 180820
Released: 2019
Views: 1,471

Tracks

1) Roots and Wings
2) Clarion Call
3) Hepmobile
4) Blue Moment
5) Phraseology
6) Ralph’s Riff
7) Through the Wringer
8) Incoming Blues
9) Black-Eyed Susan
10) Scottish Lullaby
11) Mary, Young and Fair
12) American Landscape;
Blue Moment, Clarion Call, Hepmobile, Incoming Blues and Phraseology composed and arranged by Ralph Hepola. American Landscape and Roots And Wings composed and arranged by Ralph Hepola and Peter Shu. Three Traditional Celtic Airs: Black-Eyed Susan, Mary, Young and Fair and Scottish Lullaby arranged by Ralph Hepola and Peter Shu. Ralph’s Riff and Through the Wringer composed and arranged by Peter Lothringer.

Personnel

Ralph Hepola

tuba

Album Description

Ralph Hepola, tuba; Peter Shu, piano and all keyboards except as noted; Daniel Arlig, acoustic and electric basses; David Stanoch, drums and percussion; Mark Asche, keyboard on Hepmobile and piano on Blue Moment; Peter Lothringer, guitar on Ralph’s Riff and Through the Wringer; Gary Ness, photos; Rita Fonder, graphic design; Aaron Lange, web design; A few thoughts about the music: Clarion Call utilizes the chord progression of trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s Blue Bossa. A clarion was a type of trumpet during the Middle Ages. Incidentally, the Latin word for trumpet is tuba. The title Hepmobile was derived from the Hupmobile, an automobile manufactured from 1909 through 1939 by the Hupp Motor Car Company of Detroit. The piece is a “solo vehicle” for tuba. Phraseology is a bebop tune with multiple choruses played on the tuba. Celtic Airs such as Danny Boy and The Blue Bells of Scotland have long been favorites of brass players. This recording presents three that are rarely heard: Black-Eyed Susan; Scottish Lullaby and Mary, Young and Fair. The last track was inspired by the American Landscape School of Painters who flourished circa 1820 to1880. Adventuresome and entrepreneurial, they painted scenes of incredible natural beauty on very large canvases. I will sing and make music to the Lord. – Psalm 27:6; a HepTones production; Funded by an Individual Artist Grant awarded to Ralph Hepola by the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council.