Klarinet Archive - Posting 000030.txt from 2000/03

From: alevin@-----. Levin)
Subj: Re: [kl] Albert system clarinet page
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2000 12:03:55 -0500

I had the great privilege of hearing Willie Humphrey play back in 1974.
But I remember him as being black or mulatto. It's obviously not important;
but can anyone fill me in?

Allen

At 02:43 PM 2/29/00 -0600, you wrote:
>Leighton Bingham wrote:
>
>> Christopher, What is the story on the Albert system? OK this I have
figured out.
>>
>> 1. It is an older system, 2. It had difficult fingerings 3. It is little
used
>> today.
>> What I would like to know 1. What was the sound like? 2. Was the tone
different
>> than todays horns? 3. Was it in tune more or less of the time. 4. Is it
still
>> used anywhere?
>> --
>> Leighton Bingham
>> Abusus non tollit usum
>
>It is an older fingering system which to my knowledge was used widely in
the late
>19th century and early twentieth century first in the Carribean French
territories.
>
>The Creoles were some of the first to use them in the US in
traditional/dixie jazz
>bands. Players such as Sidney Bechet, Johnny Dodds, George Lewis, Lorenzo
Tio, Omer
>Simeon, et al all played Albert System clarinets. In part they used them
because
>they were easy to maintain and repair themselves rather than the more
complex Boehm
>system. The sound quality of an Albert, in my opinion and I'm sure Chris
will
>agree, is far superior with more darkness, color, and sonority to the tone
-- pretty
>much a big fat sound, especially in the chalemeau register, and to the
larger bore,
>they project a lot better and help compete with brass instruments.
>
>Eventually players such as Barney Bigard(Duke Ellington's Tenor
Player/Clarinet
>Soloist), Irving Fazola, Willie Humphrey, and other white prominent New
Orleans
>clarinetists were playing Albert system.
>
>I currently use both Albert and Boehm System clarinets in a traditional
jazz band.
>Evan Christopher, based out of San Antonio, TX also is an albert player in
the
>dixieland/traditional jazz genre. I think mainly you will find the Albert
system
>being played today among the ranks of traditional jazz/dixie players.
>
>It is not that the Albert system is a more difficult fingering system --
in many
>respects it is much the same. Because of some of the differences though,
a player
>with great facility on a Boehm clarinet will stumble much on an Albert
system. This
>is because the horn is vented differently and the tone hole placement is
different
>as well. This also works to create the unique Albert sound. Some
differences:
>
>T = Thumb hole
>123 = 1st, 2nd, 3rd finger
>The absence of any number or T indicates the hole is uncovered
>
>Chalemeau Bb = T123-1 3 instead of Boehm Chalemeau Bb = T123-1
> B = T123-1
B=
>T123- 2
> F = T 2
>F = T
> F# = T
>F# = 1
>
>Intonation wise, some keys need to added to the normal fingering to improve
>intonation to some of the notes in the upper register, much like the
altissimo notes
>on Boehm where you hold down the G#/Eb key down to improve intonation.
Overall
>intonation depends on the horn you have -- the larger bore makes it harder
to keep
>in tune of course, but i have had good results with tuning barrels.
>
>Also on Albert, there is not a left hand F/C or right hand E/B. The
absence of
>these auxillary fingerings cause facility problems in some keys
>
>hope this helps.
>
>
>
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