 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Antonio
Date: 2000-02-21 04:04
Do people playing jazz on a clarinet generally prefer specific types of clarinets as compared to someone playing classical style - or is it more a matter of mouthpieces, reeds and ligatures.
I would be interested to hear what sort of clarinet and mpc set up is used by people playing jazz.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: paul
Date: 2000-02-21 15:36
Here is a set of general trends for your consideration. This doesn't mean that the setups are exclusive or that people playing one horn setup can't play a different type of music on it. The sound may be different, but that doesn't necessarily make it better or worse. It's just different. These are the setups that I have personally seen and heard for each type of music.
A good jazz setup includes the following:
Wide open mp
Standard metal screw-type lig
Relatively stiff natural cane reeds for lots of altissimo register playing
Relatively large bore clarinet, with standard cut bore (i.e. non polycylindrical), straight cut tone holes
Example: 1950s era Selmer, Pete Fountain LeBlanc, etc., and similar horns from Buffet, LeBlanc, Selmer, Yamaha
A good classical setup includes the following:
Medium to close mp
Lig varies from cloth to metal, inverted, etc.
Medium to softer stiffness reeds for smooth response from all registers, from chalemeau to altissimo and back very quickly
Relatively small bore clarinet with a polycylindrical cut bore and undercut tone holes
Example: Buffet R-13 (and its sister horns) and similar horns from LeBlanc, Selmer, and Yamaha
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-02-21 15:41
Of course most jazz players [to my knowledge and experience] prefer the 40-60's "big bore" Selmers, such as for the cl lead in the old G Miller arrangements and by the early cl soloists. LeBlanc still produces the Pete Fountains [15.0 mm bore] and a little known Dynamic H, which I had the pleasure to try out. I find that my LeB L7 [about 14.85 mm bore] with an open mp gives me all I want, and I can still play softly as needed. We had a BB thread on this recently, suggest looking it up. Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: George
Date: 2000-02-21 19:08
I think it is a matter of choice. YOU are going to have to try these different clarinets and setups. It is not easy to find what you like...
BTW, Eddie Daniels played on a Buffet, then he endorsed Leblanc'c Concerto, and now he is back to Buffet. I guess even the Pro's are always looking for that right sound..
I heard Eddie on a Xmas concert some time ago. I could not figure out what equipment he was playing on, but he sure sounded smooth.
The clarinet player in Wynton Marsalis's jazz orchestra plays on a Selmer with a click tuning barrel. He sounded great as well.
So to sum up, try them out and decide what you want.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: MikeH
Date: 2000-02-22 02:13
I have a Selmer "Centered Tone" circa 1958 with which I use a Vandoren 5JB. I love this set up for jazz playing. The Selmer Centered Tone has a very big sound coupled with great projection. This model seems to be readily available second hand and you can buy the Vandoren 5JB easily for about $60 discount. This set up is great for any kind of jazz playing. The 5JB however is a very open mpc and will take some getting used to if you havn't used a mpc like this in the past. It is about the same tip opening as a medium open soprano sax mpc. In fact, I have used soprano reeds on my 5JB. Hope this helps.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Daniel
Date: 2000-02-22 03:09
George wrote:
-------------------------------
BTW, Eddie Daniels played on a Buffet, then he endorsed Leblanc'c Concerto, and now he is back to Buffet. I guess even the Pro's are always looking for that right sound..
Eddie both played with the Houston Youth Symphony, and did a masterclass at Rice a couple weeks ago even though i was sitting back in the clarinet section i think he was playing a Concerto.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
