Red Norvo discusses amplification of vibes.

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Red Norvo discusses his sound.

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Red Norvo discusses the switch from xylophone to vibes.

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Q: “What about the way you play the instrument [vibraphone with microphones], is it very much different than playing just straight vibes?”

A: Red Norvo: “Yes, when I got the instrument, I went back to the garage and started to play on the xylophone again.”

Interviewer: “Oh, really?”

Red Norvo: “Because the touch is lighter and it’s a different kind of a hammer to lighten up on my touch because I’ve been forced to play much heavier of late. So by playing ... going back, playing on the xylophone for about three or four moths, I started to loosen up and lighten up on my touch. Now, I had to make a little heavier hammer … the ball of the hammer a little heavier, so I’d have a little more weight, so you can handle it easy - relaxed, more relaxed feeling in your hands.”