Klarinet Archive - Posting 000231.txt from 1996/07

From: David Blumberg <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Rico, Maneri, and stuff
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 08:13:59 -0400

John,
It sounds to me like you still have a leak in your clarinet. Saxophones have
trouble playing the lowest notes with bad reeds, but not clarinets. If you
could cover the tone holes before the overhaul, you still can cover them now.
Try the suction test to see if the bottom joint seals by (with the lower joint
apart) fingering low E, and cover the bottom end of the clarinet with your
left hand. Place your lips on the open end , and create a vacumn in the joint.
If you can't make a vacumn- it is leaking.
Rico #2 reeds are often the butt of jokes because that is what beginners play
on, and they are buzzy sounding like a swarm of bees. They are too soft to
play on even a very open facing M.P. past the first few months of playing.
Unless you have teeth problems, or are very elderly, I recommend you try
Mitchel Lurie #2 1/2 or even better, the Grand Concert (still Rico Corp. but
premium cane and cut much better) Reeds #2 1/4- they run harder than Ricos (I
like the "Thick Blank" in the dark blue box, not the regular in the white
box). Higher level players use premium cane because of the sound and response
it gives.

A story-
Reginald Kell some time ago was touring in the U.S. and went to a music store
in Colorado, asking for a box of Vandoren #2 reeds.(he used softer reeds)
The music store owner did not recognize the legendary Kell and picked up a
box of #3 reeds and said to Kell " here, try these. The really good players
use this strength".
Regards,
David C. Blumberg
Reedman@-----.com

----------
From: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network on behalf of John Verity
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 1996 10:40 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list KLARINET
Subject: Rico, Maneri, and stuff

At the risk of howls of derisive laughter:
Could someone inform this
clarinet newbie as to what the big joke is about Rico No. 2 reeds? Is
it that real players use only VanDoren No. 4's, or something macho
like that? And, am I OK if I play Rico Royal No. 2's--a minor step
up?

And while I'm here: Has anyone heard this new ECM record by Joe
Maneri, microtonal clarinetist, called Three Men Walking? It's very
out but also intriguing. He is an unsung and newly rediscovered hero
of this instrument, I read in a Harvey Pekar comic strip. Teaches at
New England Conservatory. I'd be curious to hear if anyone digs what
he is up to. I'm trying.

Finally, what does it mean when, on a newly overhauled clarinet, I
sometimes find it difficult to get low notes to sound; the
instrument sometimes acts as if the register key were open, which it
ain't. It's almost as if the reed had a memory of its own,
refusing to jump down into the lower register. This didn't happen so
much, if ever, before the overhaul, which entailed only a few new pads
and some cork here and there. And, like I said, a No. 2 reed is
involved -- too soft?

Thanks in advance,
John/NYC