Klarinet Archive - Posting 000323.txt from 2006/04

From: kurtheisig@-----.net
Subj: Re: [kl] What kind of setups do famous clarinetists use?
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2006 05:09:33 -0400


Warren,

It happens that a man that knows is around---Ralph Morgan who worked with Selmer from 1951, or earlier, to 1980, and has told me a number of Goodman and Mazzeo anecdotes.

I'll ask him and report back.

During one of Goodman's recording sessions, I think it was the Mozart, he was having reed problems. The oboist, Steve Adelstein, asked him; "May I help you with that?", Goodman replied "Please" and the problem was solved for that session. Adelstein offered to teach him how to work on reeds, but Goodman never took him up on that. Goodman was reported to have had hundreds of reeds all over his house, as he always was looking for a good reed.

I think Larry Combs set-up is reported in some of the Leblanc literature. I would always hold industry literature suspect, partially because some players DO CHANGE equipment over time.

Many great players do seek the "Holy Grail". We have lots of great players come in to our shops looking for better stuff. More often though, we will show them a mouthpiece or great reeds, an overhaul, or one of our horns and I will hear "I had NO idea!" At that point they become very willing to find out what else we can do. But originally they were not seeking a change.

Even great players are sometimes fooled. I remember one famous player that came into our store for me to "fix a mouthpiece problem". I asked to see his horn which had just been over-hauled by a well-known repairman, and made a few minor adjustments. Suddenly there was no "mouthpiece problem"!

Kurt

Kurt Heisig Music
Santa Cruz, California

-----Original Message-----
>From: Warren Rosenberg <wrosenberg47@-----.net>
>Sent: Apr 23, 2006 7:21 PM
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>Subject: [kl] What kind of setups do famous clarinetists use?
>
>
>
>> I'm curious to know what kind of setups Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Larry
>> Combs, Stanley Drucker, etc. and any other esteemed clarinetists use/used.
>> Did they constantly seek the "holy grail"?
>What did Benny Goodman play? How often did he replace his instrument?
>

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