The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2018-03-02 00:12
Hal Smith is terrific. He frequently picks great clarinetists to play with (and they pick him too.)
Hal heaped high praise on Jonathan Doyle at the end of 2017...saying something to the effect of "...played the best clarinet solo I have ever heard..." (during a gig last fall). If I can find his statement again, I'll come back and edit this post to put in his actual quote. Hal has a vast knowledge of jazz clarinet players, and has played with almost all of them...so this statement was pretty special.
Two summers ago, I was sitting a few feet away from Hal when he played with Tim Laughlin (one of my personal favorites), and I think I learned as much about musicality from Hal as I have from wind players! He's amazing!
Another top-tier musician who frequently chooses the best-of-the-best jazz clarinetists is pianist Steve Pistorius.
As for James Evans - he's great! He is always reaching, pushing, and stretching to improve. One night, at the Spotted Cat, James was really going out there and trying some pretty ambitious stuff. Happenstance found me sitting next to a well-known professional jazz clarinetist in the audience who had stopped by to listen and say, "Hi" to James. The (anonymous) clarinetist knew I played, and he leaned over and said (in jest), "I wouldn't emulate quite everything you hear James trying."
As the set continued, James pushed the envelope even further - missing a few landings, and the (anonymous) clarinetist leaned over again, and said, "I wouldn't emulate much of what you hear James playing."
The set continued, and James pushed even further - falling flat and missing the mark several times in several numbers. The (anonymous) clarinetist leaned over to me and said, "I wouldn't suggest trying to emulate anything you hear James playing!" Of course, all of this was in jest - and in admiration of James' ability and attempts to push the limits; and as soon as the set was over, I was introduced to James. He's a really nice guy. Amazing player...and made a highly memorable and enjoyable evening of music.
I really enjoy the version of Shotgun Jazz Band with James in it. He adds a lot to the sound of the group...and he has a great singing voice too!
Fuzzy
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John Morton |
2018-02-25 05:30 |
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ned |
2018-02-27 12:38 |
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John Morton |
2018-03-01 07:22 |
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Fuzzy |
2018-03-02 00:12 |
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The Clarinet Pages
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