Klarinet Archive - Posting 000688.txt from 1996/05

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Jazz Clarinetisits?
Date: Fri, 31 May 1996 21:58:38 -0400

Yes, as a matter of fact, I did play clarinet in my high school jazz
band. I made a pitch to my band director, asking if I could join the
jazz ensemble as a clarinetist, but he pointed out that he didn't have
much repertoire in his library for me. "Why don't you learn tenor sax
and handle the clarinet parts whenever they come up?" So I took home the
school's Conn over the weekend, learned how to play it in three days, and
spent the next three years having the time of my life as a high school
lead tenor sax player. Our jazz ensemble was superb, and every now & then a
clarinet part did come up, like in Jimmy Giuffrey's "Four Brothers" (if I
remember correctly; it might have been a different piece; drat, I wish
I could remember for sure). In that particular piece, I got to "be" Stan Getz
as well, since the piece was written for him and the 1st tenor part is the
lead sax part, as opposed to 1st alto

Take up tenor sax to get your foot in the door, and then start pushing for
those pieces that have clarinet in them. Maybe even work up "Sing, sing, sing"
or one of Benny's other standards and convince your band director to let you
solo with the ensemble on clarinet.

On Fri, 31 May 1996, Jonathan Terry wrote:

> Anyone on this mailing list ever play clarinet in your high school jazz band?
> My band teacher is convinced a clarinet has no place in a Jazz Band.
>