 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2004-09-22 16:54
Though living in the Bay Area for many years, I had never heard this gentleman play his clarinet. Last month I joined the San Francisco Traditional Jazz Society and on their flyer, they had a few CDs you could purchase through them. One caught my eye. It was Bob Helm with the El Dorado Jazz Band, 1955. Previously unissued material recorded at the Kerosene Club in San Jose, CA. I ordered the CD and it has had my attention for a number of days now. I play one or the other almost every day. This man played such a wild, raucous, lowdown, dirty clarinet that he should have been declared illegal. The songs are wonderful. On five tracks another clarinet player joins in for some remarkable duets. I have always believed that trad jazz bands should have two clarinets playing duet. It just sounds so great, especially when both are improvising.
So for a good time (!) contact www.sftradjazz.org and order this little honey. And also, let me know what you think if you do get one!
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Author: Kalakos
Date: 2004-09-22 22:58
Hi:
Thanks for the information on the Bob Helm recording. For me, at least, he is simply an amazing clarinetist for the true "old style traditional jazz." I love his tone for that music, and he was a tremendously talented and creative musician.
Thanks again for the info.
Kalakos
Kalakos Music
http://www.TAdelphia.com
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Author: ron b
Date: 2004-09-23 05:44
I'd like to add my Thank You to your post, too, Carol. Your post evokes some fond memories.
I live over in Sac now, where its Sacramento Hot Jazz Society is still going strong -- many admirers of 'trad' over this way.
I lived just outside San Francisco (Air Force bandsman) during part of the late 50s and remember going into The City often to listen to some great players. Can't remember them all now. I never got to hear Bob Helm live but, as Kalakos says so eloquently, I enjoyed immensely recordings with Bob Helm on clarinet.
Thank you,
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
Post Edited (2004-09-23 06:05)
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Author: John Morton
Date: 2004-09-23 15:08
I sometimes hear Helm's stuff played on Richard Hadlock's Annals of Jazz radio show (as you probably also, Carol). I jotted down a title one time of a phenomenal Helm tune from the late forties, but it seems never to have turned up on a CD. I think it was called Clarinet Foo Yung, but I don't remember whether it bore any resemblance to either Clarinet Marmalade or Cornet Chop Suey. Have you come across it?
John Morton
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Author: jim S.
Date: 2004-09-23 16:21
For a little info on the ambience at the Kerosine Club: I remember going there in 1958. It was in what seemed to be a corrugated iron-sided building in a part of San Jose where there were a lot of canning sheds. It was big and cavernous, loud and raucous and filled with little tables where people were swilling pitchers of beer. The music was wonderful. I remember hearing one of the loudest, wildest tenor sax players. His name was Colonel something. Later they moved to a much smaller place near the San Jose State campus in what was a conventional bar setting. Not nearly so exciting.
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2004-09-24 01:30
I looked on the discs and there is no Clarinet Foo Yung listed nor is there Clarinet Marmalade or Clarinet anything. If you all have information on other recordings of his that I could still buy, would you let me know. I've become addicted to his sound.
Trad jazz seems to sound the best in dives!
The sound quality on these discs is in places very poor because the recordings were made on a $50 tape recorder and then sat in somebody's garage for years until they were at last unearthed.
There was a memorial for Bob Helm last year at the San Pablo Moose Lodge. Only musicians that knew him personally or had played with him at one time or another were invited. I tried to crash the party but the place was so crowded they would not let me in the door. Boo on them.
I can't get any jazz stations where I live between Sac and San Francisco. Guess we are in a hole or something. The best stations are in Berkeley I think. So I miss out on a whole lot of information that way.
Thanks for your responses.
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2004-09-24 04:31
Thanks for the info. The last disc they list is the one that I have. But I'm going to order another one that sounds pretty good.
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