Klarinet Archive - Posting 000479.txt from 1995/06

From: Rob Hughes <rlhughes@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: mouthpieces
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 11:40:00 -0400

On Wed, 21 Jun 1995, John Baetens wrote
deleted stuff...
>
> Now that I mention sax forums on AOL, being the Devil's
> advocate that I am, I posted a message on several of the
> sax boards that proclaimed that the best Sax players are
> clarinet players. Guess what? Virtually nobody challenged
> that claim. I've seen it happen several times. My daughter,
> after playing clarinet for 4 years, switched to alto sax and
> within 6 months she got first chair, as a sophomore.
> As I am sure most of you know, Eddie Daniels is one hellava
> tenor sax player. He won an international competition several
> years back in Vienna, if I recall. Branford Marsalis also
> started on clarinet. Can anyone think of any others?
>
> John Baetens
>
I think that you are overstating your case, Charlie Parker, Sonny
Rollins, Joe Lovano, and many other excellent saxophonists started on
saxophone. To challenge your contention that one must start on clarinet
to be a good sax player, Bob Coleman, the Asst. Principal clarinet in the
St. Louis Symphony, started on alto sax.

Rob Hughes
rlhughes@-----.edu