Klarinet Archive - Posting 000491.txt from 2004/09

From: Tim Roberts <timr@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Alto Clarinet Questions
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:58:26 -0400

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 20:51:07 -0400, "Patricia A. Smith"
<arlyss1@-----.net> wrote:

>Tim Roberts wrote:
>
>
>>However, when he played it, I thought I would melt. Glorious, full,
>>smooth, woody; adjectives are inadequate. I was actually jealous,
>>because my own failed attempts at coaxing sound out of an old (and
>>abused) Bundy were quite painful.
>>
>Tim,
>
>You mention that this gentleman also was an experienced alto sax
>player. Do you suppose that a good part of his achievement of a "full,
>smooth, woody" tone may have had to do with his embochure, and the angle
>at which the mouthpiece/reed combo was placed in his mouth?
>
>

That's an excellent question, and I wish I knew the answer. I will ask
him about his equipment, if I can word that without being slapped. As I
recall, he held the alto clarinet off to the side, similar to a tenor
sax player.

This gentleman started with our band on Bb clarinet. His hearing loss
is such that it didn't work out very well, so he went back to alto sax.
For some reason, he is able to blend better with the sax section.

He has quite a lot of big band experience, and partly as a result of
that, he has a VERY deep and dramatic vibrato. That can be annoying in
many concert band situations, but there are times... Last year we did
the excellent (and, unfortunately, POP) Robert W. Smith arrangement of
Georgia On My Mind for band with alto sax solo, and this gentleman
nailed it. He had exactly the right feel. I got so involved, I almost
forgot to play my own part.

--
- Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

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