Klarinet Archive - Posting 000201.txt from 1998/04

From: Dodgshun family <dodgshun@-----.nz>
Subj: Re: very young principal cl's
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 1998 21:49:16 -0400

At 05:49 PM 5/04/98 -0400, you wrote:
>At 11:27 AM 4/4/98 PST, Kevin Fay wrote:
>>I hate to say this--being a reed player and all--but the lead trumpet is
>>the quarterback of the big band, pure and simple. As a general rule, a
>>big band with a weak 1st trumpet is a lame band.
>>
>Gee, that's funny. In our big band, we think it is the lead alto sax that
>makes the band. :-)
>
>Bill Hausmann
>Lead alto sax/clarinet, The Baytones
>
I don't agree. Personally, I find that playing in a big band with a weak
drummer (or rhythm section as a whole) is hardest. Over the 3 years I've
been playing baritone in a high school big band (runners-up in the national
champs all three years) we've been lucky enough to have good trumpeters (the
whole section) and lead alto saxes. When those players were missing, it
made a difference, but we coped. But when we had a substitute drummer who
wasn't up to much, the band fell flat. Daniel, our star drummer, has left
now and the new drummers are doing pretty well. But when Daniel comes back,
the band takes on a whole new feel. It's similar if the rest of the rhythm
section is depleted for whatever reason. If the bassist can't cope, it's
much harder on the rest of the band. Sure, if you've got one brilliant
trumpeter or sax player and the rest are useless, it's hard if that one
player is missing. Basically, a good big band should play at a level that
allows them to cope with a missing brass or reeds player - other players
should be able to play their part. It shouldn't be playing stuff that only
the lead players can cope with. What happens if they get sick just before a
big gig?

Anna

   
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