 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Dano
Date: 2005-02-15 05:06
This goes out to all clarinetists. Classical, Jazz, whatever type of music you play. Who has been your major influence when it comes to the way you play your clarinet? My major influence has been my long time teacher, Irv Kleffman. But that has been a technical influence more than anything else. My influence on phrasing and all around "putting the notes together" has been Art Pepper and the way he plays sax and clarinet, Mark Murphy's vocal instrumentation, Pepper Adams and Gerry Mulligan's baritone sax fluidity, Stan Getz's powerfuly soft solos, Joe Williams vocal depth and intonation, and Ken Peplowski's incredible musicianship. Looking back, I find it kind of odd that there are only a few clarinetists that have influenced my playing. I always wanted to play clarinet like Getz played sax. Or how Joe Williams sang. I never was too much into Goodman. Maybe a little more into Artie Shaw, but not really enough to get "influenced" by him. Anyone with me?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-02-15 05:38
Although I don't really sound like them, or match their technique (I don't know anyone who does), my influences are Eric Dolphy and Louis Sclavis.
Post Edited (2005-02-15 05:39)
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Author: ned
Date: 2005-02-15 06:04
Heaps of threads on this topic, however I'll mention the Creole/Black clarinet players native to New Orleans, for that really authentic jazz style. Bigard, Dodds, Lewis, Simeon, Nicholas and quite a few others.
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-15 12:19
my major influence has always been Benny Goodman. He is such an awesome player and has been successful not only in "jazz" (*cough big band/swing*), but in the classical repitoire as well. My two favorite classical players are Charles Neidich and Sabine Meyer and of course I have been influenced by my teacher (shouldn't you be?!)
I guess I don't know enough people to throw out really obscure names but those are my influences.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-02-15 12:40
I haven't heard too many clarinetists, but from what I've heard, I guess my major influence would be Andrew Marriner. Every aspect of his playing I like. Tone, technique, tonguing, interpretation of pieces, cadenzas, etc. etc.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-02-15 13:46
Among the well-known classicals that I've heard, maybe seen, Shifrin, Meyer, Drucker, Daniels [also for Jazz], locally, Viseur, Dailey, Strothers, Birkett; for Jazz well-known Shaw, Goodman, Daniels, Dorsey, Doreen [N O], Humphrey [N O, Pres.], Fountain, quite a few others, locally Dailey, Hunt, a few others. Saxes, [ Many] Reis, Parker, etc. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: William
Date: 2005-02-15 15:00
I have always tried to emulate the performance(s) of "better" clarinetists--and believe me, I have a lot of them to "look up to"--but I think that the first time I thought, "Aha--that's how I want to sound and play"--was as a freshman in music school listening to certain senior and graduate student clarinetists play. That group included, Phil Aaholm (recently retired University of Colorado Professor of Clarinet), Wendy Kemp (went on to sub with the Chicago Symphony) and--most influencial--David Seiler, University of New Hampshire Professor of Clarinet and (I think) jazz. I was fortunate to play next to these fellow students in college and be inspired to try a little harder to be "as good". Sure, there was Goodman, Marcellus, DeFranco, Brody, etc ad nauseum......but really, for me, the main incentive was to be able to play better--technically and musically--than anyone else around me. Seiler, Kemp and Aaholm set the standards pretty high for this lowly UW freshman music major clarinetist (who eventually went on to occupy the chairs they sat in and carry on the duty of "role model" for incoming freshman). And I will forever thank them for their inspiration and friendship.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-02-15 15:20
Stern lecture from senior member(s) about not copying/emulating other clarinetists beginning in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
-Ralph (who greatly admires Robert Marcellus and Jon Manasse)
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-15 15:58
well, ralph, I wouldn't say "copying" per se... but everyone has influences! it's inherant. you'll never have a style completely 100% your own...it's like a mix of things you have learned and heard
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Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2005-02-15 16:50
It would take pages and pages to make a list of my influences. But, if I pulled out just one name as representing for me a "gold standard" for modern jazz clarinet playing it has to be John LaPorta. Sadly, John is often overlooked in this kind of discussion. But, when one finds a LaPorta recording and listens to his ideas & playing it's typical for the mouth to fall open.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-02-15 17:22
"it's like a mix of things you have learned and heard"
Right, but you must have at least some originality, or else there would be no point in listening to you (not you specifically). If you notice great technique and musicality will get you jobs and (maybe) success, but the musicians you remember for decades, and even hundreds of years, are the ones who were original.
For example the Buddy DeFranco concert I saw recently. He played with another clarinetist called Bapi Domato (spelling?). Domato had better technique, more control, and smoother and clearer tone. DeFranco was even struggling a little, probably because of his old age, and eventhough his technique was great, it was no match to Domato. I preferred DeFranco's playing much more, and I thought Domato was very boring.
Domato was definitely "a mix of things he has learned and heard" like you said, but DeFranco had very original and interesting ideas. Of course DeFranco used things he has learned too, but he did them differnetly in his own unique way. I might buy a CD by DeFranco, but probably not by Domato.
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-15 19:13
well yea- I know there is SOME creativity in there, I was just saying that the person who said people shouldn't be so influenced by others misses the point- everyone is influenced, even a little, by SOMEONE, so we're never 100% original. However, i am all for uniqueness and musicality. i see what you're saying. i think you just misread what I said. perhaps I wasn't clear enough. sorry.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-02-15 19:15
"major influence when it comes to the way you play".....
On the WAY you play.....I am probably most influenced by the last piece of clarinet music I heard that impressed me......but over the long term I'd have to say it was Benny Goodman.
Bob Draznik
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