Author: NoradBob
Date: 2018-06-30 20:47
I first met Frank Wells in 1960 when I was in high school. I had one of his B2 clarinet mouthpiece's paired with my then new Buffet Crampon and a #4 opening alto sax mouthpiece, don't remember the model, for my Selmer Mark VI alto. The B2 had a slightly graduated opening with close to 90 degree angles at the base as I remember, flaring out just slightly on both side rails at the tip.
As I got older in both high school and college, my best friend and myself, Les, would visit Frank hoping he could help solve whatever tonal or response issues we were having. He was always there for us, and after a few minutes with one of our mouthpieces, problems would disappear. He was magical. We actually spent the afternoon I graduated from high school in Downers Grove, twenty miles west of the city at Frank's invitation to meet Stan Kenton at his then fairly new shop on Wells Ave north of the loop (no relation). They were close friends. Frank used to supply mouthpieces for Kenton's entire sax section as well as many other bands, and in those days Les and I were huge Gabe Baltazar fans, Kenton's lead alto player. Getting back to Frank, Frank always talked about the physics of sound and new ideas he was working on. He was never content to sit still and remains a huge positive influence from my youth. So when you hear about a Wells mouthpiece, know this guy was a giant.
RJH
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The Clarinet BBoard
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