Klarinet Archive - Posting 000495.txt from 2006/03

From: kurtheisig@-----.net
Subj: Re: [kl] Alto Clarinet Recording
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 02:03:39 -0500

Also Lenny Pickett! Lenny was at my shop in the 70's and I handed him a really shot Buffet alto clarinet.

AMAAAAAZING!!!!!! Lenny is an astounding jazz alto clarinet player!

Kurt

-----Original Message-----
>From: Ted Casher <tedcasher@-----.net>
>Sent: Mar 23, 2006 9:46 AM
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>Subject: Re: [kl] Alto Clarinet Recording
>
>Pete Christleib also plays jazz alto clarinet on some recordings---no
>soloing I have heard, however---part of an overdubbed ww section. He does,
>however, play excellent clarinet! He was on Doc Severensen's band that
>played the old Tonight Show, and he is also famous for his tenor solo on
>Steely Dan's "Deacon Blues."
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Francis Firth" <Francis.Firth@-----.uk>
>To: <klarinet@-----.org>
>Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 8:00 AM
>Subject: [kl] Alto Clarinet Recording
>
>
>Dear all,
>
>Although I am not myself a clarinettist I think that if anyone wishes to
>hear some excellent alto clarinet (solo) playing try the following
>piece:
>
>Roennes, Robert: Hommage a Andre Jolivet for alto clarinet and piano
>
>It is on the CD by the Norwegian clarinettist, Terje Lerstad called
>Lyrical Punk Clarinet - Norwegian clarinet music and seems to be
>available on the following site among others:
>
>http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/home/forsiden?opendocument&url=http://www.mic.
>no/mic.nsf/doc/art2003032808444149879606
>
>
>
>The alto clarinet playing sounds really excellent. There is also some
>impressive contrabass playing on this CD not to mention C clarinet, Eb
>clarinet and bass clarinet.
>
>Terje Lerstad also has for those old enough to have a turntable and know
>how to use it an LP version (unfortunately without the contrabass piece)
>which he was sending out free while stocks still lasted.
>
>His site is at kunst.no/lerstad/ <http://kunst.no/lerstad/> .
>
>
>
>There are also records with jazz alto clarinet by John Surman, Hamiet
>Bluiett and Bill Smith where the playing is also to be recommended.
>
>
>
>It's a pity that the alto is so poorly regarded in the US presumably for
>the reasons stated in previous postings. It is little used in the UK
>outside of clarinet choirs where it seems to have a home and a future
>and where it is taken as a musical instrument and not the basis for a
>lampstand.
>
>
>
>It terms of tone, an earlier posting mentioned the basset horn. Given
>that some basset horns have a bore nearly as wide as the alto and that
>to some writers at least (Newhill in his book on basset horn) the tone
>of the two different bore widths in basset horns can be virtually
>indistinguishable (he mentions the recording of a duet on the LP by
>Georgina Dobree (with Thea King) now reissued on Clarinet Classics
><http://www.clarinetclassics.com/> as This Green Tide CC0012) then, in
>theory the tone of the modern alto should not always be distinguishable
>from the basset horn. I know that this will probably upset basset horn
>purists but, given that tone is such a personal creation of the player,
>I do not worry too much about it unless one is playing on facsimile
>period instruments.
>
>
>
>The alto is also used in Europe in the clarinet sextet (there is a fine
>example by Florent Schmitt) and, on occasion, in the clarinet quartet.
>According to the English group, The Clarinet Section, it blends better
>with the other instruments than the basset horn (I'm not totally
>convinced here).
>
>
>
>I hope that some members may find this contribution helpful. The alto is
>a ridiculously-maligned instrument.
>
>Francis Firth
>
>Francis.Firth@-----.uk
>
>
>
>
>
>
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