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At the prodding of a few close associates I've decided to start a blog centered around my obsession with all things clarinet. I'm particularly interested in the legacy of the clarinet as a genre crossing/busting vehicle. Topic 1 - The tradition of multi-genre clarinetists After exploring the music of many clarinetists often associated with creative improvised music I've noticed a pattern. Many clarinet players also explored musical forms beyond the traditional song form and they were interested in using tools more often associated with "classical" music. While many instruments have the ability to fit in many different genres, there's something about the clarinet that attracts musicians who want to play a lot of different music and also many people who not only play different "styles" but also compose in a lot different "styles". I've often wondered (in relation to the chicken vs. egg argument) what came first. The clarinet's amazing ability to be at home in a variety of world musics or is it something about the instrument that attracts the type of musical personality that has an affinity for exploring a lot of different musical territory? I'll provide a few examples I've encountered and I would be happy to hear from anyone else who can provide other examples. These are in no particular order: 1) Benny Goodman While most people know his swing based music with small ensembles and big bands, Benny was quite a purveyor of "classical" music. Along with commissioning Aaron Copland, Bela Bartok, Malcolm Arnold and Morton Gould, Benny also recorded and performed the Mozart & Brahms quintets and many other well known clarinet pieces. Here's a little wiki account - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman#Forays_into_classical_repertoire Here's one of my favorite examples which features Benny playing with Bela Bartok and Josef Szigeti: I'll follow up with further posts related to this topic that will include Buddy DeFranco, Bill Smith (William O. Smith), Jimmy Giuffre, Don Byron, Eddie Daniels and more. Please feel free to add to the list.
5 Comments
8/26/2012 03:23:45 pm
Hmm...what comes to mind is the clarinet's long pedigree in various styles, though I'm no authority. Aside from jazz and "classical", the clarinet is also a sonic signifier of Klesmer and other folk/world musics. Instruments like the saxophones, guitar, or the modern drum set have had much less longevity and prominence in European Concert music, partially because compared to the clarinet they are literally "newer" instruments associated with either the salon or other kinds of music such as Jazz or Rock. Members of the string section never quite made their way to prominence in jazz or in popular music of the last 100 years - not sure why since there is endless violin in folk music and the traditions in India. There were some dark years for the clarinet in Jazz approximate to the seventies. The brass seem to be Jazz/Classical centered...not so much featured in more recent popular music or folk music. Food for thought anyway. I'm glad to see that the clarinet family has made such a resurgence in what we loosely call jazz...especially in the various improvisational forms roughly in practice since the 90s. Good luck with yer blog! 3/8/2013 05:56:43 pm
Every musical instrument has its own capability and strength. They attracts musicians who want to play a lot of different music and with a single instrument they explore lot of new things. 7/21/2013 08:25:22 pm
Clarinetist is wonderful piece of music instrument and the number of people who knows to play this very less compared to other instruments. This article that you written about clarinetist is very interesting to read and thank you for sharing it. Leave a Reply. |
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