JBA Central Blog System

From bagpipes to conch shells, you'll find some odd yet magnificent choices of instruments used throughout jazz history. Below are a few jazz artists and some of their favorite instrumental oddities.

• Michel Godad: The Serpent. Ancestor of the tuba, the serpent is deep and murky.
• Steve Turre: Marine Gastropods. Yep, you read correctly - conch shells. Simply cut a hole into the spire of your favorite mollusk, blow some air into it, and use your hand to vary the pitch.
• Mark Southerland: Horn Sculptures. These homemade horns make phenomenal sounds as well as interesting works of art. Horn sculptures often utilize saxophone mouth pieces and shoot out into multiple trumpet-like bells.
• Cooper-Moore: The Diddley Bow. This instrument is sort of like a fretless bass you play in your lap with a slide.
• Paul Hanson (inventor): The Jazz Bassoon. Just when you thought you knew an instrument, someone comes along and dazzles you with a totally new spin. From Coltrane to Hendrix, the jazz bassoon can tilt music from cool all the way to steaming hot.