Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-03-23 20:56
I met Jon Manasse several year ago at the late lamented WoodWind & BrassWind store in New York City. François Kloc had brought about a dozen of various Buffet models, and Jon picked out three Greenline Festivals for his Eastman students. I played a really good Leblanc Concerto there that day, but the Festivals beat it.
Of course, François had hand-picked the clarinets, probably knowing that Jon would be there, so they were not run-of-the-mill average in fit and finish, intonation or playing qualities.
About 4 years ago, Kal Opperman told me that Manasse played very fine Buffets. Since then, I don't know. He has certainly changed equipment over the years, e.g. from a crystal to a hard rubber mouthpiece. At least it's not Ricardo Morales, who seems to have a new clarinet every few months.
This is pure speculation, but it may be that Buffet is slowly letting the Performing Artist program die, due to losses of sales caused by the criminally stupid abandonment of music programs in U.S. K-12 schools.
Ken Shaw
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The Clarinet BBoard
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