Jazz Clarinet, Anyone?

[Ducatista47]

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/2011/04/04/955501...tant-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.

[laurie]

I've always liked the bass clarinet. I've seen Bob Mintzer and Benny Maupin play it, and Marcus Miller!

[Earl K]

Clark, Thanks for the link to the NPR show profiling Artie Shaw / I just finished it / it was immensely educational !

<> EarlK

[Mannermusic]

Duc - Check out Wynton Marsalis Unforgivable Blackness. It is the incidental music to the Ken Burns Movie of the same name. It's like a 101 in what a jazz ensemble can do - and clarinets of all register in particular. Sterling Hi Fi as well. And Wynton ain't bad either! Like your friend, my Dad was a player and also teacher - same regard for A. Shaw. Mike