Books – The Centurions Series

Happy St. Valentine’s Day, everyone! This is the first post of a new series on a non-musical topic….books! As I may have mentioned, I am a somewhat voracious reader and I enjoy a wide range of genres. Among them are historical novels, Westerns, mysteries, thrillers, manga, nonfiction, and science-fiction. I will make occasional posts on series or individual books I’m reading or have read. This initial post will be on a series I started reading back in the late 1980s, and which has remained one of my favorites.

The series is called The Centurions and it is written by Amanda Cockrell, writing under the pseudonym ‘Damion Hunter’. The series is set in the late first century AD, starting in the reign of Emperor Vespasian and continuing through the reigns of Titus and Domitian. It follows a pair of Roman half-brothers named Correus and Flavius – the first slave-born and second legitimate – and their families. Cockrell has clearly done her research and the series feels authentic with well-done characterization. These are real people and it is easy to care about them and their problems.

The series starts in the inaugural book The Centurions with a look at upper-class Roman life as our two main characters prepare to enter the Roman officer corps, and follows them through their first campaign in Germania as they fight against the tribes of the Agri Decumates – a triangular area of land between the Danube and Rhine rivers that contains the Black Forest. Interestingly, the book spends quite a bit of time with their German opponents and treats them with sympathy and understanding as well. The Romans are clearly the heroes, but the Germans are not one-dimensional villains, and the book takes time to present them in a light that makes it clear why they make the choices they do. There is also a family subplot as Flavius’ promised bride has fallen in love with Correus – a result that nobody (including Correus) wants. Meanwhile, Correus himself manages to become entangled with a captured German girl…which doesn’t help much.

In the second book, Barbarian Princess, Correus has been posted to Britain as part of the historical character Julius Frontinus’ campaign agains the West Britain (read Welsh) tribes. During the campaign, Correus becomes the guardian of a young British princess who is serving as a hostage to the Romans. Once again the British antagonists are presented in a detailed and sympathetic light, although the Romans are the story’s heroes. There is also a subplot of Correus and Flavius mending their sometimes fractured relationship and Flavius’ bride finally getting over her adolescent crush on Correus – which is quite amusing. Lots of everyday life is presented on both sides and gives the reader a fascinating view into Roman and British life. Once again, the historical background is solid and the characters are well-done. The book ends following Correus’ and Flavius’ experience being caught up in the Mt Vesuvius eruption that destroys Pompeii. Fear not – they both survive and the experience ends up strengthens their relationship…and making Correus realize what is and is not worth fearing.

In book three, The Emperor’s Games, Emperor Titus passes away and his brother Domitian becomes Emperor. Flavius is now serving on as a staff officer to the emperor, while Correus is with the Fleet….and hating it. Correus has married his British princess and reclaimed his son by his first wife from his sister, which causes quite a bit of family drama as his sister and wife do not see eye-to-eye. The book focuses largely on Roman corruption, in which Correus’ family is involved when his brother in law becomes part of a pact to kill Domitian and the book’s primary antagonist manages to have himself named Correus’ commanding officer. Speaking of the book’s main antagonist, this is one of the few genuine villains in the entire series – he is an evil, corrupt, and ambitious man who will literally do anything to achieve his aims. Quite a few characters from the previous books, including the Germans and General Frontinus, return as well and Flavius manages to become entangled with the widow of the German chieftain from book 1…which causes quite a few problems. This is in many ways the darkest book of the series, as Correus, Flavius, and their families have to contend with internal problems and enemies. Fortunately, all ends mostly well.

In the fourth and final book of the series, The Border Wolves, Correus and Flavius are involved with Domitian’s campaign against the Dacian king Decebalus. In this book, both brothers achieve the rank of legate, or general – in Correus’ case in spite of his slave birth. This is historically rare, but because of the nature of the Roman army, not entirely impossible. There is also an amusing subplot around Correus’ father courting after his wife passes away. And most of the family’s internal conflicts come to as close as well. The book closes on a high note, as Correus’ father marries again – this time for love. Once again, there are several recurring characters from the earlier books, including Frontinus, the Germans, and some of Correus’ former comrades.

The series took a near twenty-year break after the publication of Book 3, and for a long time it was very difficult to find – especially Book 3. However, Cockrell has republished the series both in print and on Kindle, and the books are very much worth reading. Besides their literary values,. they are well-researched and while they are obviously fiction, the historical background is as accurate as Cockrell could make it. Overall, this is an excellent series, and one that I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in Rome.

The books currently are available on Amazon in Kindle, Audiobook, and print formats; see the following links for details.

The Centurions Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FK9W4WM

• The Centurions: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DWV7WX7
• Barbarian Princess: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DXTPKZL
• The Emperor’s Games: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DXDNJTB
• The Border Wolves: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08S35JT1V

Contrabass Renewal

Well, I finally had the contrabass serviced and not to my surprise, it was pretty dirty. Note to self that these double-slide horns really need regular maintenance – they tend to gunk up a bit faster than single-slide instruments, if this one is a representative example.

The good news is that after servicing, the slide moves a LOT more freely and it is also much easier to play. I used a local shop instead of my usual repair place and was quite pleased with their work. For big jobs I’ll probably still go with the experts, but for small-to-medium jobs and routine maintenance the place I used this time has proven they do quality work. I even got some practice time in today and was happy with the slide movement. Now I just need to apply the elbow grease to get the results I need!

However, I did decide to address another issue. I have been aware that the silver plating on the bell has been stripped off in places. I know why – the slide dripped on it in the case – but I don’t really want to have the entire horn replated, so I’m going to experiment with some home kits for replating. We’ll see how that works….worst case I’ll just strip off the plating in its entirety on the bell and go raw brass.

In any case, I’m happy with how the horn plays. To paraphrase the great Joe Bob Briggs, my thoughts on this contrabass are: No breasts. Lots of double-slide fu. Four stars. You should definitely check one out.

2022 Upcoming Performance

Well, after being mostly confined to indoors for the past two years, I finally have an upcoming musical performance to announce. Together with my friends in the Fog City Stompers, I shall be performing at the Danville Grange Hall on February 19, 2022 from 1300 – 1600 (1 – 4 PM).

Fog City focuses on performing the original Bix Beiderbecke arrangements as accurately as possible. All arrangements are done by our leader Tom Belmessieri and are based on the original recordings. I primarily play trombone with the Fog City gang, but I occasionally pick up other instruments, including cornet, alto trombone, trombonium, and contrabass trombone. I might even vocalise (yes, that spelling is deliberate)! If this sounds like fun, I hope to see you on Saturday the 19th.

Note to interested attendees that the Grange hall does not provide any refreshments, so bring your own food and drinks. Alcohol is permitted, but bring glasses or cups as there are none on site.

A New Topic For a New Year

I have been a bit busy for the past few years, so this blog has been somewhat dormant, but as the pandemic hysteria ebbs, I think it might be time to resume my infrequent posts. And a new year (2022) brings some new topics. I confess to being a voracious reader, whose taste spans a wide variety of genres. As my musical performances have been few, I have re-entered the world of literature and have decided to add my thoughts on the books I’m reading to this little blog.

So let’s start out by stating the genres I mainly read. Historical non-fiction, historical fiction, science-fiction, Westerns, thrillers, mysteries, Japanese manga, and poetry all feature in my collection and my preferred authors include (in no particular order) Dick Francis, Ngaio Marsh, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Heinlein, Rudyard Kipling, CS Forester, Noel Gerson, Thomas Costain, Frances Hodgson, Robert E Howard, Paul Johnson, Damion Hunter, Howard Pease, and Meredith Nicholson, among many others.

These posts will discuss one or more of the books and/or series I’m currently reading, along with a brief overview of the plot and some commentary on why I enjoy it. These are not critical posts, but are intended as a personal opinion on things I like. I hope you enjoy my thoughts and these additions to my blog!

Upcoming Performances – Closing Out 2016

2016 is almost over, but there are a few performances left. It’s been a busy year, including a trip to Fresno to perform in the Mardi Gras festival with the Fog City Stompers, and a visit to beautiful Cline Cellars for their annual Wine and Jazz Festival. But now we’re down to the final three performances of the year.

October 15: Devil Mountain Jazz Band, Friends of Jazz, Danville CA

December 4: Mission Gold Jazz Band, San Joaquin Dixieland Jazz Society, Stockton, CA

December 18: Mission Gold Jazz Band, New Orleans Jazz Club of Northern California, El Sobrante, CA

The December 4 gig is tentative, as I may have a family commitment. But go hear the band anyway – they’re fun!

Devil Mountain on October 15

I’ve been taking a break, more or less, from music as I spend my days playing coach for my offspring’s youth team. However, I received a very complimentary call the other day, requesting me to sub with a band I have long highly admired, the Devil Mountain Jazz Band. This group has long been one of the premier traditional bands in the Bay Area, and they are a fixture on the festival circuit.

I initially thought I had a conflict but we managed to make things work, and so I shall be playing trombone with Devil Mountain on Saturday, October 15 at the Danville Grange Hall from 1:30 – 4:30 PM. If you’re in the area, don’t miss some good jazz!

Random Thoughts

I recently realized that I’ve been silent as I’ve been absorbed by real work for the past year. However, fear not, I have not been abducted by aliens or otherwise disembodied.

I had promised a fuller assessment of the 1919 Conn cornet purchased a year or two back, and so here it is.

Tone: The tone is frankly lovely. This horn has a classic, early 20th century sound with a mellow, full resonance. Depending on he mouthpiece, it can easily take on other characteristics, but it’s natural state – especially when used with a period mouthpiece – is one of beauty.

Valve Action: In any instrument this old, the valve action is a major concern. I do not recommend purchasing any instrument sight unseen unless you know the seller well, either personally or by reputation. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and this instrument is one of them. It would appear that the valves are near-original in their wear, and they move effortlessly. Standard maintenance only has thus far been required to keep them in excellent condition.

Slides: The slides have been well-maintained and all of them work easily, including the screw that adjusts the fine-tuner.

Key-change Mechanism: The mechanism that automatically moves the slides and adjusts the key from Bb to A is mostly in good condition, but one screw has rotted out. I will of course have that replaced shortly, but otherwise the mechanism works perfectly. It is in amazingly good shape, considering.

Case/Accessories: The case is not original – it is a 1960s-era case. However, it is in acceptable condition, though I have purchased a soft case for daily use. However, the original mute did come with the horn and still works well.

Overall, I’m very pleased. It is a more difficult horn to play than the 1926, but it produces a far superior tone, making the additional effort well worth it. In short, if you encounter one of these instruments in corresponding condition, I highly recommend purchasing it.

Upcoming Performances

The past few months have been quiet on the musical front, but I do have some upcoming performances. The main one takes place on July 11, as I will be playing trombone and alto trombone with the Fog City Stompers for the annual Cline Wine & Jazz Festival. We will be performing two sets – the first at 1:10 PM in the Mission venue, and the second at 3:20 PM on the Great Lawn. Both of these venues offer plenty of seating, and lots of space for dancing. Fog City also will be performing on August 9 at the monthly meeting of the Napa Dixieland Society.

I also will be playing cornet with the Mission Gold Jazz Band at the Union City Veterans’ Home on June 20. This is a private event, but you can catch the band in September at the New Orleans Jazz Society of Northern California and in October at the Napa Dixieland Society.

You can always catch me with the East Bay Stompers every third Thursday at the Irvington location of Bronco Billy’s Pizza Palace in Fremont from 7-9 PM.

New Toy – 1919 Conn Victor 80A

I’ve been raving about the characteristics of the early-20th century Conn cornets ever since I got my 1917 New Wonder ‘Vocal’, and I’ve especially been impressed by the big-bore 80A Victors since I purchased my 1926 a few months ago. However, my 1926 did not have the accessories that originally came with these instruments – specifically it is missing the extra tuning slides that change the horn from the modern frequency of A=440 to the older ‘high-pitch’ frequency of A=452. If you are interested in learning more about ‘high-pitch’ versus ‘low-pitch’, you can see the relevant Wikipedia article on concert pitch or consult a reference such as the authoritative New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

I have been looking for a horn that does have all the original accessories and I recently ran across a near-pristine 1919 example in the very rare burnished gold plate finish with everything – the extra high-pitch tuning slides, the quick-change Bb-A mechanism, the original mute and the original Conn mouthpiece. The horn was being sold on Ebay by Wichita Band Instruments and while it was not cheap, I jumped at the chance to get one of these wonderful horns in such excellent condition (and with all the original accessories as well!) and the horn is now on the way. When I receive it, I will post a full review, but I’m really looking forward to playing this new horn. The 80As are wonderful instruments, but mine does have some wear on the first valve – it is making a clicking sound, which is somewhat worrying, though so far it does not affect the playability of the horn at all. Regardless, I am very pleased to have an opportunity to get one of these horns that is in near-mint condition. If this horn plays up to my expectations, I intend that it will quickly supplant the 1926 as my main instrument for those occasions when I play cornet.

Below are two pictures of the new horn in its case – note the elaborate engraving on the bell.

Upcoming Performances – February/March 2015

February and March are looking like fairly busy months for music performances. In addition to my two regular bands, I have also been hired to perform with some other fine musicians. Currently, my schedule looks like the following:

FEBRUARY

• February 1: I’ll be performing with the Fog City Stompers at the Santa Rosa Traditional Jazz Society from 1:00 – 5:00 PM.
• February 6: I’ll be performing with Pat Dutrow’s Jazzmeisters at Jack’s Brewing Company in Fremont, CA from 6:30-9:30 PM.
• February 15: I’ll be performing with Brian Campbell for a private event.
• February 19: I’ll be performing with the East Bay Stompers at the Irvington location of Bronco Billy’s Pizza Palace in Fremont CA from 7:00 – 9:00 PM.

MARCH

• March 1: I’ll be performing with the Mission Gold Jazz Band at the Santa Rosa Traditional Jazz Society from 1:00 – 5:00 PM.
• March 15: I’ll be performing with the Flying Eagles Jazz Band at the New Orleans Jazz CLub of Northern California from 1:00 – 5:00 PM.
• March 19: I’ll be performing with the East Bay Stompers at the Irvington location of Bronco Billy’s Pizza Palace in Fremont CA from 7:00 – 9:00 PM.
• March 22: I’ll be performing with the Mission Gold Jazz Band at the South Bay Traditional Jazz Society from 1:00 – 5:00 PM.

For a complete schedule and performance details, please check my website – www.reverbnation.com/trnewcomb.