 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kevin L. Oviatt
Date: 2000-03-20 05:07
Saw wild man blues a documentary of his Jazz bands world tour and was trying to figure out what it is he is playing,guess it was custom made for him almost looks like an Albert system,never get a good close look?
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Author: Eoin
Date: 2000-03-20 08:25
I've always heard that Woody Allen plays an Albert system clarinet. It sounded different to a normal clarinet. Is that just the way he plays it, or is a product of design of the clarinet? It had a sharp, piercing sound.
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Author: Graham Elliott
Date: 2000-03-20 08:28
If it was the same programme I saw, I felt sorry for him (and the maker). He said it was custom made but he was clearly unhappy with it, and got more pleasure from a metal Buffet which they let him try on a tour of their workshops. I was left wondering what he had played on before he had that made for him, and why he had changed.
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Author: Kevin L. Oviatt
Date: 2000-03-20 11:19
Saw him playing the metal one but think I missed a bit of the tour although I noticed full boehm in workshops display case.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-03-20 12:22
Do a search on the past bulletin board topics as this has been discussed before. As I recall, he plays an Albert system as that is what he originally learned to play on.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-03-20 12:26
Eoin wrote:
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I've always heard that Woody Allen plays an Albert system clarinet. It sounded different to a normal clarinet. Is that just the way he plays it, or is a product of design of the clarinet? It had a sharp, piercing sound.
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I have one old Albert in working condition and it *does not* have a sharp piercing sound. It is nice and full and mellow. So it is probably the setup that he uses and the way he plays it. Or it could be that particular instrument. Just as with Boehm system clarinets, there were variations in design from maker to maker.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-03-20 15:04
In the most recent ICA publication, "The Clarinet" March 2000, there is a fine article by Dr.Reeves of the Shrine to Music detailing the Alberts which may help in identifying W A's clar. When/where was this program, I missed it. Don
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2000-03-20 17:11
I saw him performing at the Carlisle Hotel NYC two years ago and he definitely played an Albert or something that looked very similar to one. I saw the instrument from a three yards distance. I had heard that he played an Albert so I tried to take a close look and it was not a Boehm instrument. About his sound and technique I think I dare saying that his instrumental skills are not the best.
However, some phrases he got down very nicely and I think somewhere inside of him dwells a great jazz musician if only he had more time to spend with the instrument.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-03-20 17:55
Woody Allen learned to play on an "Albert" system clarinet and, since he does it for pleasure, did not want to learn another fingering system. According to a documentary a few years ago, when his old clarinet wore out, he asked Buffet to make a duplicate. He's famous enough (and rich enough) that Buffet custom-made a instrument, which is what he now plays.
The particular old style jazz he plays was developed by people playing old system clarinets, and the sound suits the music.
Allen is a decent player, almost but not quite at the professional level.
Ken Shaw
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Author: beejay
Date: 2000-03-20 19:15
Interesting discussion. I went to the source to find out. My friends at Buffet-Crampon tell me that after touring their museum, he ordered two custom-built Albert system clarinets with silver plated keys and carbon fiber rings. He plays on one, and loaned the other to a Paris musician in exchange for a vintage Albert clarinet. I didn't see the movie, so cannot tell you what instrument he played in it.
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Author: John Dean
Date: 2000-03-20 20:22
I believe woody allen played on a cheap Rampone clarinet -either Albert or Simple system-for many years. The film of his European tour was very interesting from a clarinettist's point of view but I have to say we have many semi pro players here in the UK that would play him off the bandstand! However he does have an extraordinary enthusiasm for NO jazz which communicates to the audience. On his own admission he is not a brilliant musician but he is certainly spreading the word about jazz as the soundtracks of his movies also demonstrate.
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Author: Kevin L. Oviatt
Date: 2000-03-21 00:51
The movie has been showing on encore seen via my dishnet system no plugs intended, it is on again tonight and I have only seen it in bits and pieces so I won't want to miss it.
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Author: John Kelly - Australia
Date: 2000-03-24 03:54
Yes, Woody used to play a Rampone [Italian I believe of about 1890 vintage]. He also used,with this instrument, a wide lay mouthpiece and about a #5 reed [don't know which brand though].There is a Web page on Woody for those of you who may wish to surf.
I play NO jazz as well and use #4 Rico reeds and a 5JB VanDoren or #6 Meyer, depending on the day. I find this set up is fairly challenging but the sound I get is worth the effort and you will find that other NO jazz players will generally agree on this point.
Apparently the story goes that Benny Goodman sat in on Woody's instrument[which is curious in itself as Benny played Boehm] and immediately got the knife out on the reed as he could not get a sound of the instrument!
I would agree that Woody "has his moments" and has great enthusiasm and is a good ambassador for NO jazz - keep it up Woody!!
Just to touch on another point whilst I'm on line: VIBRATO:
I have ofter wondered why the classical players of wind instruments [clarinets included] do not use vibrato in their playing? Have I not listened to the right recordings maybe? We will all be aware that string playersdo, and this makes their sound much more warm and expressive [in my humble opinion and speaking from a non-legit perspective]so I would be very interested to hear from some of you classically trained players out there. I am quite a fan of classical music and am impressed by the level of technique that you need to have to read the dots, but this vibrato thing is a point of wonder for me.
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Author: Pepin
Date: 2000-03-26 02:11
Most of new orleans players played albert systems as they were the leftover of the civil war bands available in second hand stores or hock shops.My close friend Barney bigard played a Selmer Albert. Woody who sometimes sounds like George Lewis plays to day a Selmer Albert with an Otto Link Mpc and a #5 reed. He is very close to the french clarinetist Claude Luter in Paris. Luter who played for years with Sidney Bechet used to play an Albert system but changed to a Boehm. Woody claims that the Albert has a more woody sound (excuse the pun) and more volume and a sound closer to the new orleans style.
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