 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: beejay
Date: 2002-08-19 13:10
Does anyone know anything about the jazz scene in Johannesburg? I'm going there for 12 days next week, and am wondering whether to pack an old clarinet. With the UN development conference taking place, and some 60,000 people expected to attend, I figure the music scene should be quite lively.
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2002-08-19 14:13
I can only give you a generic answer, not knowing anything about Johannesburg. Having travelled to various countries and carried my instrument with me each time, it's never been a choice I've regretted. Even customs agents realize what they're looking at through the x-ray at the airports, although they'll take a second look. Depending on your experiences in playing, you never know what opportunities will arise unexpectedly. It's better to have it with you than not. Obviously you'd be aware of the possibility of theft or damage and take precautions.
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Author: Mr_K
Date: 2014-10-06 03:10
I've been off this board for several years, I had a previous rather erratic incarnation based in Johannesburg. In 2010 I moved back to my real home, the small neighbouring kingdom of Swaziland, and I am now very happily settled back here. As I really feel like a completely different person since leaving South Africa, I've decided to change my "nick" -- not in the least that I'm disowning anything I said, just that it was another time and place. And it was indeed pretty crazy back there.
I am now teaching clarinet (and harmonica) at a big international school here, performing with my own and other bands, and leading a much more sane existence. Swaziland is crazy in its own way, but once you get "down to speed" here, it is a wonderful place.
But I really want to start by looking back, and asking, as did the Godfather of Rap, Gil Scott-Heron: Have you heard, what's the word, from Johannesburg. Because I think you may be surprised at what lurks there, clarinet-wise. And to answer the question posed some years ago on this thread: definitely yes, if you go to Jo'burg, do take your instrument. You really never know what you might find there.
My own playing is mostly African jazz and jive, blues, rock and reggae, and my role models were Kippie Moeketsi and Zacks Nkosi, who both played clari and saxophone. It's nearly impossible to find clarinet recordings of Kippie,one of the greatest musicians SA ever produced. But a friend here in Swaziland had a CD of Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, playing in 1963, and there is Kippie pulling out an incredible clarinet solo, quite the equal of an Artie Shaw, my other great hero. Lyrical, soaring, beautiful stuff. Read this if you want to see under what difficult conditions this recording was made. It is an unbelievable tragedy that so little of his work got recorded. Kippie went to London with the show King Kong, got into trouble there, and was subjected to three rounds of electroshock treatment for his pains. He didn't touch a saxophone for years after that, saying his brain/hand coordination had been messed up.
I never saw Zacks Nkosi live, I did see Kippie playing once in 1981, one of his very last performances (he died in 1983). It was in a black school outside Jo'burg, a classroom with a mud floor. I was just learning sax, and I will never forget how he blew one note from the very bottom of his belly, just this deep sound that reverberated through me, and I thought, this is it, I have to play this instrument.
But we all knew Zacks's famous album, with the picture of him with clarinet tucked under his arm.
Another great player was Big Voice Jack, the pennywhistler whose tune Tom Hark became a worldwide hit. I wrote a long post about Jack for this forum, which mysteriously disappeared without trace. Not quite, actually, one of the moderators caught a Google reference to it, although it had vanished from the board. An accident on the forum where there are no accidents. I will tell Jack's tale again some day, I interviewed him in his last years, and he told me about his clarinet technique. I only heard him play soprano sax, a gorgeous reggae-type tune he had composed. Jack was truly in a class of his own. You may have heard of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Their name was a straight rip of Jack's band, Alexandra Black Mambazo. Alex, aka "Dark City", was a rough place. Mambazo means axe, tomahawk. The musos carried these after gigs, to make sure they weren't mugged. In Johannesburg, when musicians say "axe", they mean "axe".
"Tom Hark" -- which was the theme tune for a BBC drama series on South Africa -- was apparently a mishearing over an international telephone line. The actual name of the song was "Tomahawk".
Then there was Bob Hill, whose clarinet backings on the seminal pennywhistle recordings from Johannesburg that went around the world in the late 1950s gave these street sounds a beautiful polish, without ever trying to take the limelight. Hill played bass for Tony Scott when he visited South Africa, incidentally. When Bob Hill died a few years ago, I discovered he had been playing every single weekend at a little club in the north of Johannesburg. I was a sub-editor on the entertainment pages, and I never saw a word of this, or I would definitely have gone to see him, I was heartbroken to see what I had missed. And this is the main theme of this post: what secrets Johannesburg keeps, even from people who are living there.
Because if there was one player who shaped the clarinet sound of this dark city, it was Mario Trinchero, the principal clarinettist for many decades of the Jo'burg Symphony Orchestra. I heard him many times in my student days, although I was playing violin then, and didn't pay much attention to the woodwinds, more fool me.
Mario Trinchero is a legend, and I've met many of his students, including one Nino, founder of an eponymous chain of Nino's restaurants found around Johannesburg (recommended, if you visit). It was a slightly disconcerting conversation, as this elderly bald Italian gentleman had a gorgeous Thai lady sitting on his lap while we talked. But he told me, Mario Trinchero was just an absolutely world class teacher, and even though Nino was the bassoon player for the JSO, he went to Mario for lessons.
There is almost nothing about Mario Trinchero on the Internet. I will copy-type one story, which for some reason you can't copy and paste, that may give you some idea of his class:
"The Italians have produced many great players, in South Africa, Mario Trinchero (sadly now no longer alive) [NOT TRUE] was regarded by the clarinettists there to be a giant in the history of the instrument for his amazing technique and sense of musicality. I personally sat next to him on one occasion during a recording of a difficult piece by Tschaikovsky. He was transposing down a semitone (for many years he had no A clarinet) and suddenly just before a fiendishly difficult passage he turned to me, winked impishly and proceeded to play the passage using the hands the other way round! (Left-hand for the lower joint, right-hand the top.) It was his amazing party trick -- he played the difficult passage flawlessly like that whilst recording! If anyone out there can do this I would like to hear about it! He also had a legendary command of the double-tongue and could play articulated passages at any speed."
I phoned Mario Trinchero in 2009, trying to see if he would still take students, but he said he was too old now, and referred me to his student Etienne Malan, who gave me the only clarinet lesson I've ever had (I really needed someone to show me around the bass clari). But Trinchero was still very much alive. After reading the above post, I spoke to another of his students, Ceri Moelwyn-Hughes, a very fine saxophonist and historian of music, who plays with various orchestras, and she was very perturbed that someone was saying Mario Trinchero had passed away. Absolutely not true, she said.
I've become obsessed with articulation, so I asked her if she ever got her double-tonguing up to his standard, and she just laughed, saying never in a hundred years, and adding that she was sure his Italian background gave him an inestimable advantage. Do Italians have an edge in this respect?
She also said that Trinchero never used an A clarinet in his whole career, managing everything with the Bb. This has been a tremendous inspiration to me, and to many other Johannesburg clarinettists. I realised long ago that I couldn't make excuses to other musicians, especially heavy metal performers and the like, that oh, I needed to get another clarinet one day to play in that tricky key.
Another of his students -- who gave up a musical career to become a top financial journalist -- is a very good friend. She was a pianist who did a BMus at Wits University, and took up saxophone as a second instrument. She said that Trinchero insisted even with saxophone on double-lip embouchure, but she only used to use this while she was in lessons. Personally, I believe double lip is the only way to go, so I was fascinated to hear this.
But here is the clincher, and something that may even make the most jaded seen-and-heard-it-all member of this forum sit up. I discovered this reference and to my astonishment, read the following:
"Rosanne studied clarinet and voice with world renowned musicians including Mario Trinchero, advisor to Maestro Arturo Toscanini on all matters clarinet."
I must admit, I felt goosebumps reading this. If this is true, and I'm sure it is, then this is an astonishing thought. I took a look around this forum, and saw that Toscanini was known for giving clarinettists a hard time. Now we know why -- they weren't Mario Trinchero.
Toscanini completely revolutionised orchestral music, creating whatever it is we understand of the modern sense of musicianship down there in the pit. And the man who was his early clarinet guru, is still alive and living in retirement in Johannesburg.
I tried to get my journalist pal who studied with him to write a story, but she demurred. I am not an orchestral musician, I decided it was way beyond me to try interview Mario Trinchero for a story, although I've written lots of articles on music. The thought just terrified me too much.
So here is a challenge for this forum, someone with enough sense of the history to take this on. If anyone feels like picking up a telephone and seeing if Mario Trinchero is available for an interview, please, just do it. I'm sure his number is still in the Johannesburg telephone book.
All the best
Mr_K
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Author: avins
Date: 2014-10-06 07:53
Hi mr k .i read throuh your lengthy comment .which brouht back memories 45 years back.in 1971 i played in the sabc as cadet bassonist next to nino sanssi an jos de groen and
Of course mario who was agreat clarine player .btw do you know that the orch closed recently due to lack of funds ...
All the best
Avins
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Author: Mr_K
Date: 2014-10-06 12:59
Oh, very interesting, Avins. I'm sure you remember Nino well, he is quite a character, and I would love to hear any memories you have of playing alongside Mario Trinchero.
The JSO closed around 2000, but it seems to be surviving as a community orchestra whose members "play solely for the love of creating beautiful music". This is another Johannesburg theme, it was costing me a fortune to try and be a performing musician in that town. I made more money in Swaziland in one month, playing corporate gigs, than I did in Johannesburg in ten years, and that is not an exaggeration.
James Phillips, an extraordinarily talented Jo'burg musician who died tragically young and in total poverty, put it like this: "Trying to make money out of music here is like trying to carry a grand piano on your back up a spiral staircase, while you scatter R50 notes to the winds." Very accurate. James was classically trained, incidentally, he went to university to avoid the army.
Out of the ashes of the JSO rose the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, but I see it is also running into trouble, in debt to the tune of R17 million (over US$1m). A familiar story, but I am still convinced there is a future for orchestral music. It will take a paradigm shift in the music itself for this to happen, however. And I feel this responsibility lies much more with the players than the composers. We need to become far more creative, versatile and innovative.
All the best
Mr_K
Post Edited (2014-10-06 13:06)
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2014-10-06 19:05
Dear Mr K,
I studied with Mario Trinchero from 1991-1996. He was indeed an incredible clarinetist, wonderful musician and brilliant teacher. I'm sorry to tell you that he died in July this year. He was 93 years old. I spoke to his widow when I was in South Africa at the end of July.
I could tell you many, many stories about Mr Trinchero. But I would like to clear up one inaccuracy- even though he played double-lip embouchure himself, he didn't insist that his students use it. When I asked him if I should play double-lip he advised against it because (he said) my upper lip is too short. Apparently he did once own an A clarinet, but he got rid of it because he hated changing instruments during a piece. He always used to watch us quickly switching instruments in things like Shostakovich symphonies and sat back in his chair with a relaxed glint in his eye. Apparently he learnt he Nielsen Concerto in just 3 weeks before performing it on the B-flat clarinet.
I have an old cassette of Kippie Moeketsi playing the King Kong recording. I love his playing and spent the time to lift one of his solos off the album. I never heard him play in person, but someone told me that he didn't have any teeth. Is this true?
Best regards,
Robert
Post Edited (2014-10-06 23:26)
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Author: claaaaaarinet!!!!
Date: 2014-10-07 07:10
Fascinating stuff. A lot goes on around the world (and sometimes in our own back yards!) that never crosses our radar.
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Author: Mr_K
Date: 2014-10-07 09:56
Robert, thanks so much for this. I'm really sorry to hear this, but Maestro Trinchero had a wonderful life and career, and I'm sure the big woodwind section up above is in full voice again.
It just amazes me that this does not even rate a mention in the South African media, I looked as carefully as I could. It really goes to show something about what happens there, they just do not know what treasures they have in their midst. I will make sure to alert some of the music journalists.
I've been struggling for four years to get an ADSL line here, finally succeeded a few weeks ago, otherwise I would have made this post long before. This is what I call "getting down to speed" in Swaziland. So sorry to have started with this bit of misinfo, but it's just the way things go. I will see what I can do to get more reminiscences from musicians here.
Re double lip, very interesting, thanks. With my friend, who had fuller lips, he was more adamant, but as I say, she only used to use double lip during lessons. Saxophone was her second instrument, she was not planning a career in woodwinds.
Well, I don't know about Kippie's teeth, but it's not impossible. He used to stay from time to time with a neighbour of mine right here in my little valley, the artist Ray Berman, I'll have a word with him. Kippie is the one player I know who blew the clarinet with all the same power as a saxophone when he wanted. I wonder if he used double lip on clari!
All the best
Mr_K
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Author: DaphnisetChloe
Date: 2014-10-07 14:58
Dear Robert and Mr K,
This is so very inspiring and quite incredible.
Did Mario Trinchero play on a full boehm clarinet? If not, how could he play everything on Bb clarinet if he didn't have a low Eb key?
Its very disappointing that there are no recordings of Mr Trinchero available.
Thanks for the info,
James J.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2014-10-08 01:39
Mr Trinchero played a full-Boehm clarinet with low E-flat. He used to sometimes play the throat B-flat as a long overblown E-flat, which gave it a clarion register quality. When I finished my studies with him he was 76 years old. He offered to sell me this instrument. I tried it but found the intonation to be quite tricky, so I didn't buy it. He sold it to someone else and played a regular Boehm B-flat for the next ca. 15 years. I wish I had bought it, now that I look back.
Regarding recordings: I have some poor sound-quality recordings of Mario Trinchero on old cassettes. How would one go about converting recordings like this into a digital format? If I could do it I would be prepared to try to upload some of the recordings.
Mr K- now that I think back, I seem to remember Mario getting students to play sax double lip. Something to do with the angle of the mouthpiece being more horizontal? But I might be wrong. Etienne Malan was the only student I knew of Mario who played clarinet double lip, but there may be others.
Post Edited (2014-10-08 01:43)
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Author: DaphnisetChloe
Date: 2014-10-08 15:07
You could try plugging a cassette player into a computer or recording device with a cable. Then you can re-record the tapes into a digital format.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-10-09 02:19
Licquorice: I convert cassettes to CD using Audacity software and a cassette player connected to the computer....no problem. Audacity gets it into the computer then you Export to a CD .
Bob Draznik
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Author: Mr_K
Date: 2014-10-09 12:08
For a moment there, I thought Audacity must be someone on the forum, but yes, the audacity of hope, it would be wonderful to hear some of this music. I am also sure if someone were to dig around the SABC archives, they would find some recordings of live symphony broadcasts featuring Mario Trinchero.
Liquorice, any more stories you have, I'm sure we would all love to hear. The way you write them is very amusing. I like your phrase, "a relaxed glint".
I have also been trying to find some clarinet recordings of Kippie Moeketsi to show how special he was. This is the best I can find for now, a very simple little street kwela (township jive) tune with minimal backing, called Clarinet Kwela. It's a very basic version of the tune, but you can hear how he projects his sound.
The composition I've been trying to find is called Scullery Department, which to my mind is just the funniest jazz tune in the history of the book. I said this to the BBC jazz programme in 1993, while making a special request, I'm not sure if they ever played it. Now that I've had time to think about it, I literally cannot think of another tune that is even in its category, let a lone a real contender. You have to start going back to Teddy Bears' Picnic for anything like it.
There is a story that goes with it, as there so often is with Kippie's music. In those days, black musicians were not allowed to use any change rooms in clubs, or in fact be legally anywhere on the premises, so they were often banished to the kitchen. Sometimes they would have to pretend to be scullery staff if there was a raid. So this is the reference for Kippie's tune. It would make a wonderful backing track for a comedy short, the changes of pace are perfect.
Kippie was very bitter about this kind of treatment, but the way he resolved it -- in an absolute masterpiece of a light-hearted piece -- is just in a class all of its own.
There are recordings for sale on the web, but I seem to have found a previously unreleased version of Scullery Department -- seem to have, because it is very cleverly zipped up in a .rar file, which is something I have never heard of until now. Another case for Audacity? This was available on the Mediashare tab on this Electric Jive web page. I still need to find the software to open it, so I can't vouch for anything. It's a big file, took a while to download here.
But if anyone manages to listen to this tune, one way or another, you can tell me any competitors it might have, for a purely instrumental absolute killer comedy piece.
All the best
Mr_K
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Author: Mr_K
Date: 2014-10-09 15:59
On further thought, one other really fun tune popped into mind, The Pink Panther. But it was never really an improvised jazz tune from the beginning. The best part of Scullery Department is the solo, I think. And does anyone remember a childhood favourite, I Was Keiser Bill's Batman?
All the best
Mr_K
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Author: DaphnisetChloe
Date: 2014-10-11 12:50
Hi Liquorice - have you had any luck with converting the cassette recordings? It'd be of great interest to myself and many others if we could hear Mr Trinchero's playing.
All the best,
James J.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2014-10-12 16:29
Hi James,
Thanks for your advice and interest. I went rummaging around in the box where all my old cassettes are. I found recordings of Mr Trinchero playing the Brahms E-flat Sonata from 1979, the Nielsen Concerto from 1957 and the Finzi Concerto (undated). To my dismay, I discovered that, when I moved to a new apartment some years ago, I decided to get rid of my old cassette player, because I never used it! So now I have to see if I can find a cheap-ish cassette player at an electronic shop thatcan be plugged into a computer. It will actually be interesting trying to convert some of my old cassette recordings into a digital format. I'll let you know if I get anywhere with this.
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