 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: William
Date: 2005-01-20 18:51
"Goodmans clarinet" is kind of like "this flag was flown over the White House". My point is that he went through so many during his career--clarinets, I mean--that there must be several--hundreds, maybe--out there, somewhere, to be auctioned of as being "the one" he played all of his gigs on. For me, I'll just stick with my "non-Goodman" clarinets, which may be every bit as good, as if not better, that Goodmans.
Happy bidding (if you must)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-01-20 18:53
The funny thing is that, other than his very first beginner clarinet, Goodman probably never bought any of them ...GBK
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Author: larryb
Date: 2005-01-20 19:02
There are a lot of questionable comments being thrown around here:
"several-hundreds, maybe" - is this true, or even remotely accurate? Let's say he went through a clarinet every 5 years. In a 60 year period, that's 12 clarinets. Even if he had a new horn every year, that's only about 60 of them. I doubt he used that many. Remember, Stanley Drucker has played one mouthpiece for decades.
"other than his first beginner clarinet, Goodman probably never bought any of them" - is that true? I'm sure he was given many clarinets, but do you really believe he never, or even probably never, bought any of them? Don't you think he might have bought his second or third clarinet?
If there's documentary evidence for these statements, I am happy to stand corrected. Just would like to be sure that hearsay, gossip and rumor are not allowed to stand as fact (unless it's in jest).
the main question should really be: what's the play test policy of the auction house for this horn? If not satisfied, can you return it?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-01-20 19:44
As most know, Goodman was one of the most successful of all the bandleaders of his era. He was also, in the words of Bill Crowe, "absent-minded, ruthless and often infuriating". Additionally, he was notoriously, shall we say, "careful" with money.
If there was any remote possibility of Goodman getting something gratis - (food, cigarettes, clarinets, reeds, etc...) he found a way.
Read the famous story that Loren Schoenberg tells about Goodman and the Xerox machine...GBK
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Author: Dano
Date: 2005-01-20 22:33
Return an auction item? I seriously doubt you will be able to return the clarinet if you don't like the way it plays. It will probably end up in the hands of a collector that does not play clarinet, not a clarinetist. If it is one of BGs clarinets, it will be valuable because of who it belonged to, not because it "plays well". I think it would be more acurate to say that BG had "many" clarinets and that one would wonder what makes this one so "auctionable" and where are the rest of his clarinets?
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Author: larryb
Date: 2005-01-23 12:56
In another thread that was closed down to consolidate with this thread, Hiroshi asked about the whereabouts of goodman's buffet clarinet. While a search of the archives will point the way to another old thread on this issue, I'll just point out here that a Goodman buffet clarinet is on display at the Metorpolitan Museum of Art in Central Park, NYC. Go up to the musical instrument collection.
Goodman probably stole the buffet from a little old lady who had saved up all her social security income to purchase it as a gift for her 5 year old grand daughter.
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Author: Dano
Date: 2005-01-23 15:10
I heard that Goodman was a better clarinetist than a P.R. guy and thought they were exagerating until I saw an interview with him at his home. His family looked like they had been let out of cages in the basement for the interview and he acted as if they were interviewing him about his comminting a crime instead of his incredible clarineting. I think it was in the 70's that I saw the interview that was taped somewhere in the early 60's and I listened to his music with another "ear" after that. That is why I believe musicians should not do interviews. We are a strange lot and even if you are not B.G. famous, you are somewhat socially inept. I question if I would even want B.G.'s clarinet. Then again, I am not a collector like others may be.
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