Klarinet Archive - Posting 000324.txt from 1994/12

From: Syd Polk <jazzman@-----.COM>
Subj: Random old threads
Date: Thu, 15 Dec 1994 19:49:51 -0500

I am sorry this is all in one message, but I have not had time to respond.

C clarinets - I agree with Dan in general that C clarinet parts should
be played on C clarinets. One could argue, however, that older part from
before Boehm came along should be played on Albert system clarinets.

I have a good friend who is a New Orleans jazz musician, and he plays
jazz on everything. He says that all of the New Orleans cats use Albert
system clarinets becuase they like the brasher brighter sound. They really
have a lot of competition for the old instruments; Woody Allen has
a lot of them and constantly buys more

Extended range bass clarinets - Mr. Leeson mentioned that Low D would
be very useful on bass clarinets but you usually have to put up with low
Db and C also. Eric Dolphy, jazz bass clarinetist extraordinaire, played
a Conn low D horn. So they do exist. I would like to have a low C horn
available so that when I needed it I could play it, but I am happy to
play my student plastic Vito until then. It's a great horn, with good
action, good sound (even G and A just above the staff), range as high
as you want, low maintenance, etc. My only complaint is that long C
and B are sharp, and the low Eb is sharp, and the bell has to be turned
sideways for the low Eb pad to close.

Left-hand Eb-Ab - I have played a few instruments with this gizmo, and
it can help, but I don't miss it. I have gotten pretty good at sliding
right hand C#-F# to B-E. I really liked the left hand
low Eb lever on the Buffet Prestige.

Reeds - I have performed on Eb, Bb, Alto, Bass, Conta-alto, and Contrabass
clarinets, and Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones in the last year.
I do computers for my day job, and I simply do not have time to work on
reeds. I usually put a box of reeds in each case, and at the gig, find the
best one, and keep the boxes with me so I can change later. In a pit,
where I am usually playing 3-7 instruments, I have a little tray to put
all of the reeds and mouthpiece covers on. When I was a music major,
I learned a little about reed working, but that was on bari sax reeds, and
if I try on smaller reeds, I usually ruin them. So I gave up. I use
Van Doren reeds in general, Javas on my jazz sax mouthpieces. My pet
pieve right now with VanDoren is that their bari reeds only fit Selmer
mouthpieces, and they don't make Javas for bari. I have to use some
other brand on my jazz mouthpiece. I find this very annoying, as I love
the cane in VanDorens. It is much longer lasting, and it even tastes better.

That's about it for now.

Syd Polk