- Kirk Joseph
Kirk Joseph (born 1961) is a
jazz sousaphone player fromNew Orleans, Louisiana . The son of trombonist Waldren "Frog" Joseph, Kirk Joseph began playing the sousaphone while a student at Andrew Bell Middle School, and took part in his first professional gig at the age of fifteen when his brother Charles invited him to play a funeral with theMajestic Band . in 1977 he became one of the founding members of theDirty Dozen Brass Band , a group which is credited with reviving thebrass band tradition in New Orleans. He has played with theTreme Brass Band andForgotten Souls Brass Band , and currently leads his own group calledKirk Joseph's Backyard Groove .Described as a "modern sousaphone pioneer" [http://www.bluesaccess.com/No_47/newrelease.html] , Joseph claims inspiration from renowned New Orleans
tuba player Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen. In an interview with "The Times-Picayune" Joseph described the effect Lacen's playing had on his own: "He was the first person I ever heard walking the sousaphone, making it sound like bass.... I took it from there." [http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-3/111475656518920.xml] The style of playing created by Lacen and Joseph was instrumental in establishing the modern New Orleans brass band sound, which combines traditional marching band andDixieland traditions with strongjazz and funk influences.References
* [http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-3/111475656518920.xml "Sousafunk Synergy". "The Times-Picayune", April 29, 2005]
External links
* [http://kirkjoseph.com kirkjoseph.com]
* [http://www.kjosephone.com/ Kirk Joseph, New Orleans Tuba (Sousaphone) Player]
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