 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JerryForsyth
Date: 2013-02-24 12:11
My wife and I are going to go to New Orleans in May to listen to Dixieland (and any other) Jazz. I want to immerse myself in the music and of course want to hear the best clarinet players they have to offer.
So I am looking for suggestions on where to go and to whom I should listen. I want to try and find the African-American lady (I think her name is Denise) who use to play in the orchestra and now plays on the streets. Anybody know where to find her down there? And I listened to a jam-up version of Petite Fleur by the Dukes of Dixieland so I would like to find them, and of course I want to go to Frenchman's Street and check out the Spotted Cat Club.
What else should be on a clarinet menu for New Orleans? Is Preservation Hall still any good or just a tourist joint? Is the Famous Door still there? Any good?
(By the way, I am curious to find out what horns they play. Can they be made of wood and stand the humidity and temperature changes they must see down there when playing outside?)
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2013-02-24 12:52
Doreen is the name you're wanting...
I have no idea where she plays there.
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Author: RichA
Date: 2013-02-24 13:19
Hi Jerry,
The good news is you can still find Dixieland in New Orleans. The bad news is you have to search for it.
Doreen is an excellent player. Her last name is Ketchens and her web site is www.doreensjazz.com. Check her site and you'll see if she's around. She has played the "streets" but she is world famous. Another top-notch player is Ryan Burrage. While probably in his 40's, he is one of the few who play the Albert system. A third great player is Tim Laughlin. Google their names and you should get to their web sites. The best, and one of the few spots, to hear Dixieland is Frittzels (check the spelling). Tim and Ryan play there often. The current Dukes of Dixieland play on a PaddleWheeler 1 or 2 nights a week. Again, the internet will be a big help to you. Preservation Hall? Yes, but not so much for the quality of the music but more for the history of the place.
Enjoy
RichA
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Author: Orlando Natty
Date: 2013-02-24 13:46
I recommend Tommy Sancton. He learned from George Lewis (among others) and is very good. He typically plays at the Palm Court restaurant and ocassionally at Preservation Hall. We caught him playing with singer Topsy Chapman at Palm Court and at Preservation Hall with Lars Edegran and Clive Wilson last spring and both performances were awesome. Sancton, Wilson, and Edegran all learned from the masters back in the 60s.
Tommy has a blog where he lists his upcoming performances. If you want to learn more about him and the guys he plays with he wrote a book about growing up among the old, black, jazz players in New Orleans called "Song for My Fathers" which is excellent.
Here's Tommy's blog address: http://tomsancton.blogspot.com
Post Edited (2013-02-24 14:01)
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Author: Orlando Natty
Date: 2013-02-24 14:00
P.S. Tommy Sancton plays an Albert system Buffet. In his book he mentioned that he "inherited" jazz great Lorenzo Tio's clarinet. I'm not sure if it's the one he plays now, but he definitely plays an Albert system. His mentor George Lewis did too.
We only went to Preservation Hall one night, but it was great. It's so basic in there you couldn't really make it feel touristy if you tried. The old paintings on the wall, the dark interior, and simple benches feel like you could be in any decade.
The only aspect I didn't like is that they kind of file you in and out in a touristy manner. You stay for your performance (about 45 minutes long) and then you're supposed to leave before the next. It wasn't extremely busy the night we went so they let us stay for two performances, but we didn't want to take advantage of them and left before the third performance.
The place is really tiny, though, so I understand them wanting to maximize the number of people who get to see a performance. I highly recommend doing the reserved ticket upgrade, as you get to go in early and are guaranteed a seat.
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Author: weberfan
Date: 2013-02-24 19:42
Try Fritzel's on Bourbon Street, on a night when Tom Fischer (clarinet) is there fronting a quartet. Or any of several clubs on nearby Frenchman Street in the Quarter, particularly Snug Harbor.
You can find information for them and others online.
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Author: JerryForsyth
Date: 2013-02-25 19:15
Thanks to you all! I am looking forward to a great few days of music. I will keep checking this thread if there are any more thoughts.
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