Klarinet Archive - Posting 000477.txt from 1995/04

From: SCOTT MCCHESNEY <scmcchesney@-----.NET>
Subj: "Jazz" technique?
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 03:41:24 -0400

I have a question for all you more-intelligent-and-knowledgable-than-
I types out there.
I recently picked up the soundtrack to "The Shadow" (I rate it an
"Nnnh..OK, I guess" score), but one of the songs is meant to be source music
suring a scene where Lamont Cranston is in a restaurant. Anyway, the band is a
30's or 40's big-band type, with the sax players doubling on Clarinet every so
often in the piece (even the Bari Sax player - or else he does a DAMN good
impression of a Bass Clarinet on his sax!) and a Solo Clarinet part, ala Benny
Goodman or such (good Johnny Mandel arrangement, BTW.)
ANYWAYS, this Solo part is very...interesting. Therre is a TON of
vibrato and sliding of pitches; that I can understand. But, along with all
this, there is very little low end to the Clarinet at all (the part spends most
of its time in the high register, anyway), but the chalumeau has almost nothing
to it - very windy and diffused. When I first heard it, I thought it might be
either an E-flat that was used throughout the whole piece, or else it's a Bass
Clarinet playing in the clarino. But it's not; the more I listen to it, the
more I'm convinced that it's a regular Soprano.
When I say there's very little to the low end, I mean there's hardly
any lower partials - even in the lower notes on the instrument. Is this a
playing technique? A fault of the instrument? I don't like the sound at all,
so it seems to me that learning that sound wouldn't be particularly
advantageous, but maybe it would. Is it caused by the loose Sax embouchere?
It could very well be a Sax player doing it; I don't know.

-- Scott McChesney
-- SCMCCHESNEY@-----.net

   
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