Author: Orlando Natty
Date: 2013-02-12 14:13
I hadn't heard of Anat Cohen until recently rediscovering this message board. I think her inclusion of clarinet in jazz recordings is great. People like Cohen have to reintroduce jazz clarinet to modern audiences because their only reference points to it are through older or traditional forms of music (New Orleans jazz, big band, Klezmer, etc.) rather than popular music, even popular jazz.
By the way, I don't think Cohen is saying she personally thinks Benny Goodman is dated (or unworthy), rather that most people associate the genre of music he played as being "old", which it is. In other interviews she credits Goodman as one of her influences, especially his tone quality.
I'm glad there are people out there making an effort to ensure the clarinet is considered a legitimate jazz instrument, as I was discouraged from playing jazz clarinet when I was younger. In the early 90s I wanted to play in my high school's jazz band but was told the clarinet was not a jazz instrument and I'd have to learn sax. As a poor kid with no means to buy another instrument, learning sax just to play jazz was an impossible proposition.
I even mentioned Pete Fountain and others as an example, but was poo-pooed about how that kind of jazz wasn't popular any more. I really think my director was too lazy to write out parts for clarinet and just went with the standard modern jazz arrangements he could purchase. It was a shame because I really could have learned a lot from the theoretical foundations (minor scales, improvising, etc.) the kids in jazz band were learning.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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