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One thing that was interesting after my surprise performance of Misty on the Mellophonium at the banquet at the IHS symposium (also described in the previous post; this photo of me introducing the piece was taken by Travis Bennett) was that a percentage of people who spoke to me afterwards had really limited knowledge of the instrument. While developed for use in marching bands, it gained some fame for the use of a section of four of the instruments in the Stan Kenton big band in the early 1960s. I have a good introduction to the instrument in this brief article, and a great clip of the Kenton Mellophonium section in action may be found here. Also, note that it is not a modern mellophone, it is a Mellophonium, a design copied by others but primarily a Conn product, produced from 1957-78. Those present at the banquet will agree it has a unique, classic sound if well played. It was fun to play Misty on mine but I would hate to march with it! Modern mellophones are better designed for sure.
