On its fifth full-length album, 'Cervantine,' A Hawk and a Hacksaw's love of the Balkans continues unabated, but with new songs and collaborators. In 'Uskudar,' the music finds an equal balance of sweet, sour and earthy sounds with nimble string melodies and a grunting tuba.
I hate to say it, but Christmas as a kid was always a moneymaking venture for me. I played trumpet, and a friend of mine who played trombone and a guy who played tuba, every Christmas we'd go out for three or four days beforehand and play Christmas carols on our horns.
I played the tuba in high school. I wanted to be a member of the marching band. I thought, what can I play that has the most effect? What can I play to get people to laugh?
I can produce any instrument, any sound that I can imagine; it may be percussive to the audience, but in my mind it may be a piano, a melody, or a tuba, or a harp, or a harmonica. My mission is to allow people to hear the dance in its purity and up against any other type of sound or music.
I play the baritone horn - which is like a mini tuba, and is the least sexy instrument you can choose, and I generally say I don't play one so I don't have to acknowledge it. I also play fife.
Gaston: I'd like to thank you all for coming to my wedding. But first I'd better go in there and uh, propose to the girl!
[chuckles as the men at his "wedding" laugh while the 3 Bimbettes sob]
Gaston: Now you Lefou! now when Belle and I come out that door...
Lefou: Oh, I know! I know! I strike up the band!
[Lefou starts
composing the wedding band and they play, Gaston quickly shoves a tuba on Lefou's head]
Gaston: Not yet!
Lefou: Sorry!