One-man band
July 20, 2011 12:44 PM Subscribe
'A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of musical instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical contraptions.' Giulio Carmassi such a multi-instrumentalist. He uploads to YouTube jazz tunes & evergreens he records in his home studio. He often write, perform, sings, shoot & edit himself the whole productions. He also has a professional career.
One-man band (The Lonesome Organist)
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 12:53 PM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 12:53 PM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
This is so awesome. This guy is incredible. Thank you.
posted by koeselitz at 1:14 PM on July 20, 2011
posted by koeselitz at 1:14 PM on July 20, 2011
Eh, big deal. I did this for years--I wrote every track, performed every instrument, and produced every bit of this album (with the exception of my wife's vocals on about half the tracks), and not only did I also run the record label that released it myself, for the initial physical release, I even personally manufactured, shrink-wrapped and mailed out every physical CD myself by hand. I was trying to do a ridiculous one-man juggling watermelons while balancing on a high-wire act to get some attention for my stuff and my little small-time label (which also released some other bands), but nobody cared, and rightly so: because the whole project was a pointless and desperate carnival barker trick.
Also, I agree about this not really counting as a one-man-band.
posted by saulgoodman at 1:14 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also, I agree about this not really counting as a one-man-band.
posted by saulgoodman at 1:14 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Eh. On second thought, I'm probably just bitter, so just, like, never mind.
posted by saulgoodman at 1:15 PM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by saulgoodman at 1:15 PM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
A cordless drill and kazoo duo soars to unexplored heights with the aid of a one-man orchestra and virtuoso singer.
posted by Meatafoecure at 1:19 PM on July 20, 2011
posted by Meatafoecure at 1:19 PM on July 20, 2011
saulgoodman: “Eh, big deal. I did this for years--I wrote every track, performed every instrument, and produced every bit of this album (with the exception of my wife's vocals on about half the tracks), and not only did I also run the record label that released it myself, for the initial physical release, I even personally manufactured, shrink-wrapped and mailed out every physical CD myself by hand. I was trying to do a ridiculous one-man juggling watermelons while balancing on a high-wire act to get some attention for my stuff and my little small-time label (which also released some other bands), but nobody cared, and rightly so: because the whole project was a pointless and desperate carnival barker trick. Also, I agree about this not really counting as a one-man-band.”
Hey, I've done one-person recordings, too. I've played trumpet, accordion, guitar, bass, piano, organ, etc on my own stuff.
All I mean is, this guy is actually serviceably good at playing all these instruments. I just don't know anybody who's that good at saxophone, trumpet, drums, etc. Sure, lots of people do it, but he's inventive and I like his style, and he plays all of these instruments quite well.
So, er. Yeah. Maybe I'm years behind you, never having recorded an album or anything, so the bitterness hasn't set in yet. But I like this dude.
posted by koeselitz at 1:24 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Hey, I've done one-person recordings, too. I've played trumpet, accordion, guitar, bass, piano, organ, etc on my own stuff.
All I mean is, this guy is actually serviceably good at playing all these instruments. I just don't know anybody who's that good at saxophone, trumpet, drums, etc. Sure, lots of people do it, but he's inventive and I like his style, and he plays all of these instruments quite well.
So, er. Yeah. Maybe I'm years behind you, never having recorded an album or anything, so the bitterness hasn't set in yet. But I like this dude.
posted by koeselitz at 1:24 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yeah, big deal, even my kid can perform all the parts of Bohemian Rhapsody.
posted by swift at 1:28 PM on July 20, 2011
posted by swift at 1:28 PM on July 20, 2011
Man, that sounded like a huge insult. You're awesome, too, saulgoodman – this stuff is really good, I've been listening to it – didn't mean to imply otherwise. And it's awesome that you released your own record – that's a dream of mine.
posted by koeselitz at 1:29 PM on July 20, 2011
posted by koeselitz at 1:29 PM on July 20, 2011
Yeah, big deal, even my kid can perform all the parts of Bohemian Rhapsody.
Man, I thought that link would lead to a YouTube video of your kid singing all the parts of Bohemian Rhapsody. YOU OWE ME A VIDEO OF YOUR KID SINGING ALL THE PARTS OF BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.
if you don't have a kid you owe me a kid
posted by nanojath at 1:36 PM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Man, I thought that link would lead to a YouTube video of your kid singing all the parts of Bohemian Rhapsody. YOU OWE ME A VIDEO OF YOUR KID SINGING ALL THE PARTS OF BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.
if you don't have a kid you owe me a kid
posted by nanojath at 1:36 PM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Holy hell, this guy is great. I teach beginning band and strings, and have to be moderately proficient at flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, and drums. But except for my main instrument (trombone) and other brass instruments, I'm at about the "good middle school player" level.
My students are always amazed that I play "all the instruments" (not true, obviously - they've never heard me try to hack my way through a piano part or strum anything but C and G7 on guitar) - I can't wait to get back in September and show them some of Giulio's stuff.
Wonder what his main instrument(s) is/are? Or what he considers to be his strongest?
posted by rossination at 1:39 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
My students are always amazed that I play "all the instruments" (not true, obviously - they've never heard me try to hack my way through a piano part or strum anything but C and G7 on guitar) - I can't wait to get back in September and show them some of Giulio's stuff.
Wonder what his main instrument(s) is/are? Or what he considers to be his strongest?
posted by rossination at 1:39 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
if you don't have a kid you owe me a kid
Your place or mine?
posted by swift at 1:41 PM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Your place or mine?
posted by swift at 1:41 PM on July 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
(No worries--it's definitely just personal bitterness, koeselitz. This guy seems to be doing some fine work; it's just sour grapes on my part because I had this grand plan to make a buzz for my material by going to ridiculous lengths to do literally everything myself--from engineering the recordings and mastering the production ready master, to hand coding the websites I used to sell and promote it, etc.--but in the process, I didn't leave myself any time/energy/money to seriously promote the thing, counting instead on some kind of magical word-of-mouth miracle to make it all work out, which it did not. And that kind of effort really just isn't sustainable for long.)
posted by saulgoodman at 1:42 PM on July 20, 2011
posted by saulgoodman at 1:42 PM on July 20, 2011
I like my one-man bands nutty and recorded in real-time.
posted by hermitosis at 1:45 PM on July 20, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by hermitosis at 1:45 PM on July 20, 2011 [6 favorites]
Great, a virtuoso. Now point me to the artists.
posted by stroke_count at 1:54 PM on July 20, 2011
posted by stroke_count at 1:54 PM on July 20, 2011
This is one man.
How's that?
...and he does what he does REALLY well. Nice composition, excellent keeping in sync with himself, good voice, competent with all instruments. He's a soundtrack studio all in one package.
posted by not_on_display at 2:02 PM on July 20, 2011
How's that?
...and he does what he does REALLY well. Nice composition, excellent keeping in sync with himself, good voice, competent with all instruments. He's a soundtrack studio all in one package.
posted by not_on_display at 2:02 PM on July 20, 2011
Wow, great musician. I'm amazed...I'd write something more insightful and profound, but that chest hair is distracting. I think it's chest hair. It looks so...soft.
posted by majonesing at 3:17 PM on July 20, 2011
posted by majonesing at 3:17 PM on July 20, 2011
Bob Log III One man band in a space helmet.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:54 PM on July 20, 2011
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:54 PM on July 20, 2011
It's the videos that really sell it, for me. If this were just him describing his production process on his blog occasionally or something, it wouldn't be nearly as interesting or exciting--even though the music is excellent, it might not have gotten my attention right away on its own (not due to anything wanting in it so much as due to my own distractability). But as it is, this is a very cool project and well executed. Thanks for pointing this guy out to me.
posted by saulgoodman at 7:10 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by saulgoodman at 7:10 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Holy hell, this guy is great. I teach beginning band and strings, and have to be moderately proficient at flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, and drums. But except for my main instrument (trombone) and other brass instruments, I'm at about the "good middle school player" level.
...and with that, Antoine Batiste joins Metafilter ....
posted by mannequito at 9:10 PM on July 20, 2011
...and with that, Antoine Batiste joins Metafilter ....
posted by mannequito at 9:10 PM on July 20, 2011
One-man bands, you say? Howsabout the incomparable Jesse Fuller?
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:30 AM on July 21, 2011
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:30 AM on July 21, 2011
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He's a good musician, but recording multiple tracks of yourself is very common, and is not an example of the above definition. Am I missing something? Because I'd REALLY like to see that.
posted by hanoixan at 12:49 PM on July 20, 2011 [1 favorite]