Debbie,
 
Steve Turre is the musician who uses  alot of different conch shells
in his jazz performances. He  has each large shell tuned in a seperate
key, which of course means that he has a  C  Shell along with the others
in B flat, etc. The group name is Sanctified Shells. I've heard them live
and I have several CD's. Steve is an incredibly gifted performer on all
levels.
 
During each performance, he plays several instruments while three or
four others play harmonies, backup or seperate tunes on shells. It's really
something to behold, and the audience is totally thrilled.  Keep on the
lookout if he comes to your area to play. Verve  records him. On the CD's
you hear great jazz  but cannot actually tell which is the shell and which
is the regular instrument  unless you've seen it. It truly is a visual thing.
Visit www.verveinteractive.com for slightly more info.
 
By the way, I'm new to Conch-L . My name is Mathilde Duffy , and I  live
in Massachusetts. I'm a scientific illustrator / fine artist and  lifelong
admirer of shells. Flowers are my primary subjects now, but I still
love shells, go to some of the east coast US shows  and am a 20 year
member of COA. I love limpets, colorful bivalves and carriers, among
others. I lived in Florida for 15 years and was very active in their shows
all over the state. May go to New Zealand within a year to visit friend
on the south island. Any New Zealand stories to share?
 
Looking forward to reading  your messages as I draw in my studio. Ah, yes,
it's a holiday. Won't be hearing too much, I guess. Enjoy the weekend.
 
Mathilde  Duffy
[log in to unmask]
 
Deborah Wills wrote:
 
> FYI!
>
> There is a sound file on Conch-Net of Winston Ponder (I think) blowing a
> conch shell.
>
> It is at:  http://coa.acnatsci.org/conchnet/conch.wav
>
> The file is alittle over 1MB, so if you have a slow computer, you might
> not want to try the file.  Those of you with faster modems and
> computers, take a listen.
>
> Also, don't forget that there is at least one musical group that uses
> different sized shells as wind instruments.  I've heard the group (but
> don't remember the name).  I was amazed at the level of harmony and
> "real" music they were able to coax out of those shells.
>
> Have a great weekend.
>
> Debbie Wills
>  <><
>
> AL, USA