Klarinet Archive - Posting 000257.txt from 2010/05

From: hns692@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Who Played Clarinet in the Godfather?
Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 18:48:52 -0400

The person who purchased Blayman's company/assets intended to continue
manufacturing the pegs and mouthpieces, etc. Last look at Weiner and WWBW, at
least some of the Blayman products are still available. They're well
worth having for sure!

Lee Ann Hansen
First John Philip Sousa

In a message dated 5/31/2010 5:09:22 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
dnleeson@-----.net writes:
Herb Blayman, who played the clarinet music in "The Godfather" was a dear,
dear friend of mine. I would often drive to his home in Tenafly, New
Jersey
to meet him and would drive with him to the Met. He had parking
privileges
in the Lincoln Center parking garage.

He began his career at the Met with the 1950 season and I think his last
season was the 1975 or 76 season. Before he went to the met he played
tenor
with a NY dance band and was an excellent jazz improviser. And before
that
he held the principal chair with the Utah Symphony when Abravenel was
still
conducting.

After his retirement, he moved to Belen, New Mexico and improved his
mouthpiece and stand business. My wife and I visited him and his wife on
a
half dozen occasions when we would drive across the U.S. He was a very
generous host, and an excellent raconteur.

His wife died first and then he began to fail. His daughter took him to
the
east to live in a senior residence near her and I lost track of how he was
coming along. He had had several urological operations, and then his
heart
began to fail. After his death, his daughter called and invited me to the
memorial services which were held in New York. But I was unable to go.

I miss him. He was a wonderful person, a very good orchestral player (he
did very little solo work), a super host, and a very good maker of stands.
At one point I played Mahler 4 using two of his bass clarinet stands (one
for the A bass and one for the B-flat bass) on which I added enough pegs
for
the C, B-flat, A, and E-flat clarinets. I was told that I looked like a
clarinet factory.

Dan Leeson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Claudia Zornow" <claudia@-----.net>
To: <Klarinet@-----.com>
Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 11:34 AM
Subject: [kl] Who Played Clarinet in the Godfather?

> Douglas Ramsdell writes:
>
>> The guy playing the clarinet onscreen in the Godfather was most
>> likely an EXTRA, with no relation whatsoever to the person playing
>> clarinet on the soundtrack. Extras casting agencies often stipulate
>> playing ability (and ability to furnish one's own instruments) when
>> casting onscreen bands/orchestras, and there are plenty of SAG-card-
>> carrying musicians who do that kind of work.
>
> Very interesting -- I never knew that. Thanks for the information!
>
> Claudia
> _______________________________________________
> Klarinet mailing list
> Klarinet@-----.com
> http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com

_______________________________________________
Klarinet mailing list
Klarinet@-----.com
http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com

_______________________________________________
Klarinet mailing list
Klarinet@-----.com
http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com