Klarinet Archive - Posting 000053.txt from 2001/04

From: AnneLenoir@-----.net (Anne Lenoir)
Subj: [kl] Re: Dan Leeson's request for discussion with Stewart on Vibrato
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 12:46:33 -0400

Dear Dan,
I hope you are feeling well. I'm sure that the back surgery must
have been an ordeal. Glad that you are writing.
My parents took me to hear Reginald Kell before I had my first
clarinet lesson with David Weber. I was about 11, and Kell's concert and
master class were held at the U. of Tampa. (I grew up in Tampa). At the
time, I loved his presentation and his use of vibrato. Reginald Kell
also plays very musically (is he still alive?) and is a delightful
gentleman. For years I had an LP of his recording of a Brahms Sonata and
some other things. I believe that the albumn got misplaced when we moved
into our new house. About a year later, my parents took me to hear David
Weber at the same place and arranged for me to have some lessons from
Mr. Weber, who became my life-long mentor. Even though I started out
with the double-lip embochure, where I couldn't stand and play for long,
over the years I became a jazz player, switched back to single-lip
embochure, and enjoyed using vibrato sometimes, even in classical music.
Dan, I personally don't know why I like to use vibrato sometimes or why
I like to play without it on certain tunes. I also don't know why I
preferred David Weber's clarinet playing to Reginald Kell, except that I
personally prefer a ringing French tone. It just makes me happy. Maybe
it's because of my French ancestry. I hope you don't think I'm narrow
minded for preferring a particular type of tone. I think that Mr. Weber
may have brainwashed me at an early age. I try to keep an open mind.
Very recently I have come to admire the clarinet playing of Richard
Stoltzman, particularly some of his far-out stuff that I have heard on
public radio.

I often use vibrato on my gigs, and I doubt that Mr. Weber would
object, as his good buddy, Kenny Davern also uses vibrato. The French
style is a good style for me because I usually don't have to use a mic,
since Mr. Weber pounded into my head at an early age how to project. He
was so obsessed with "projection" of tone that he and Ralph McLane used
to take turns playing in a sweltering closet in the middle of summertime
and have the other listen to see how well they "projected". I know I'm
not Stewart, but I did feel like writing you a note. ANNIE

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