Klarinet Archive - Posting 000237.txt from 1996/07

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fredj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Rico, Maneri, and stuff
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 11:03:19 -0400

John,
Take it from me, as a teacher with 15 years experience teaching
beginners, RICO #2'S ARE MY REED OF CHOICE FOR THEM!!!!!!! There is
nothing wrong with them. It is simply a matter of intrinsic quality.
Ricos are made to be 1) inexpensive 2) to be easy to play right out of
the box (but a quite loudly and shrilly, by classical music standards). They
are also cut softer, which means that by the time you get to a 5 1/2, it
is only equivalent to approximately a Vandoren #3 1/2 - 4. The reason
they are joked about is that only Jazzers and beginners use them (for the
reasons listed above). However, there is no shame in using them if they
give you what you want and need. I have used them on professional jobs on
Tenor and Bari Sax for Jazz. However, I will not use them for legit playing.

Fred Jacobowitz
Clarinet/Sax Instructor, Peabody Preparatory

On Thu, 11 Jul 1996, John Verity wrote:

> 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
>