Ducatista47
05-13-2011, 11:04 PM
I have usually not enjoyed the clarinet in Jazz. I flat out do not like Dixieland, and most of the swing era players leave me bored.
Then I started listening to Artie Shaw. I became taken with his artistry and imagination, but I wasn't quite there yet. I wanted to say that he was one of the greats, but I couldn't back it up. I am not really a musician, and I think it takes a musician to make that pronouncement.
Last year I was at a wedding reception for a good friend. Her father, an accomplished professional multi-instrumentalist including flute, clarinet and sax, was talking with me and I ventured to opine that Shaw was a great clarinetist. Man, did he put me in my place. He said firmly, "No, he was a Great musician." It was in the tone of a piano player talking about Bill Evans.
A very nice introduction/overview is the NPR Jazz Profiles (what a great series) edition about him. You can download it in 128mp3 for free.
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/04/95550189/artie-shaw-the-reluctant-jazz-star
To quickly mention another great musician who played the bass clarinet as well as he played saxophone, Eric Dolphy is a favorite of mine too. I need to listen to more Buddy DeFranco before I can make up my mind about him. I haven't heard enough yet.
Then I started listening to Artie Shaw. I became taken with his artistry and imagination, but I wasn't quite there yet. I wanted to say that he was one of the greats, but I couldn't back it up. I am not really a musician, and I think it takes a musician to make that pronouncement.
Last year I was at a wedding reception for a good friend. Her father, an accomplished professional multi-instrumentalist including flute, clarinet and sax, was talking with me and I ventured to opine that Shaw was a great clarinetist. Man, did he put me in my place. He said firmly, "No, he was a Great musician." It was in the tone of a piano player talking about Bill Evans.
A very nice introduction/overview is the NPR Jazz Profiles (what a great series) edition about him. You can download it in 128mp3 for free.
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/04/95550189/artie-shaw-the-reluctant-jazz-star
To quickly mention another great musician who played the bass clarinet as well as he played saxophone, Eric Dolphy is a favorite of mine too. I need to listen to more Buddy DeFranco before I can make up my mind about him. I haven't heard enough yet.