Klarinet Archive - Posting 000164.txt from 2003/04

From: "Albert Nemiroff" <anemiroff@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Thank Youse All
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 00:31:41 -0400

Thanks to Kelley Abraham, Jeffrey Schiffer, et al, those who were
knowledgeable about Manhattan and described much I needed to know before my
first trip there. I gallivanted around the Island beginning with my arrival
at the hotel at 9:30 pm Friday 21st until 12:30 pm Friday 28. While I did
miss the open jam sets, I did get a chance to visit, Lincoln Center,
Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim Museum, The Jewish
Museum, ASCAP, some of the music stores, and pizza parlors mentioned here a
few weeks ago, etc,, etc., etc. The American wing of the MMA, where the
musical instruments are displayed was closed do to a shortage of guard
staffing. On advice I asked at the information desk if there was any chance
to see it. They asked if I would accept a 10 minute peek. A guard was
summoned and I got my peek. It would be easy to spend very many hours in
that division alone. I think I lost my blue umbrella there in the haste to
see as much as possible. The lines for the Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci
went on forever. The Jewish Museum featured a special exhibit on the
outstanding personalities of the entertainment industry of the twentieth
century.
After seeing The Producers and The Man From La Mancha, I went to the
orchestra pits to let the musicians know there are many supporting the
survival of live performance. These people do what I would like to have done
50 years ago. These are among my heroes. Live Broadway is every bit as
wonderful as I had imagined. (One ticket was a gift.).
My choice for the single slice pizza places was Mariella's. If there is a
next time, I'd like to share a pizza from Patsy's. The locals tell me it's
strictly gourmet. (I had no place for the leftovers.) What is to be said
about pastrami, rye bread and cheesecake? Wonderful. I'm partial to Chicago
hotdogs. Watch out for those knots from Ray's. They melt much to easily.
Tiffany's would not allow me to walk around the store with a cup of coffee
and a Danish.
While my official excuse for the trip was a professional meeting at the
Javits Center, the real reason I went was to consult with Guy Chadash
regarding clarinet bore construction technology, and to play one of his
instruments. The barrel I got from him a few years ago for a 1952 'Vintage',
and the replacement of the register tube on a 1983 R13 gave these
instruments new leases on life. After explaining his approaches and how he
achieves high precision, he handed me an instrument to try. While my Buffets
are excellent, the instrument I played, after not practicing for the better
part of a week was very free-blowing. The tone quality was excellent
(understated) and the volume almost without limit. I felt I could equal or
perhaps overtake a trumpet. The improvements in the mechanism make precision
adjustment easier. The advantages of such craftsmanship are apparent
immediately. If you haven't heard his big pretty sound, his CD will give you
some idea of it.
Two things you people didn't warn me about was Strands Miles of Books. It
ranks with Powel's all over Seattle and Acres of Books in Long Beach, CA...
all great fishing holes for books. They shipped on Thursday and the books,
mostly gifts, arrived in Lancaster, CA on Saturday. Unlike someof the
Diaspora, the people in and of the City were courteous and helpful.
As they said on Broadway in the 1940's, New York, New York, It's a hell of a
town..
Al Nemiroff

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