Who's your favourite clarinet player?

[flat5]

There are a lot of accomplished people with the name Michael Moore.

[Cyril]

There are a lot of accomplished people with the name Michael Moore.

Not all play clarinet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moore_(saxophonist_and_clarinetist)

[gmonahan]

Someone may have mentioned it, but I don't remember seeing Art Pepper's name. He rarely played the instrument on records, but when he did (as on the "Winter Moon" album), it was lovely.

gregmo

On a recent Jazz Library programme on BBC Radio 3 about Art Pepper, Alan Barnes (mentioned by Bev in this thread) expressed a strong liking for Art's clarinet playing, clearly preferring him to Buddy DeFranco or Tony Scott on this horn.

Well, I love all of Art's playing, but I'm not sure he played quite enough clarinet to rank higher than DeFranco and Scott, whose main instrument it was. That said, I do like the little of it I've heard.

gregmo

[Harold_Z]

Since this turned out to be a mention of SO many clarinetists - Let's put Tony Parenti in honorable mention. He had it going on.

[Steve Reynolds]

John Carter

Pee Wee Russell

Jimmy Hamilton

Marty Ehrlich - when i saw him live last year with Bobby Bradford he tore the roof off when he picked up the stick

Joe Maneri - seeing him live 5 or 6 times puts much of this in perspective

Eric Dolphy - not often did he play the b-flat but when he did...

[colinmce]

Eric Dolphy - not often did he play the b-flat but when he did...

Indeed, if only. I'd like to think he would have played it more had he lived longer.

[Guest Bill Barton]

As this thread has morphed into something of a laundry list of clarinetists, another player (admittedly a "doubler") who deserves mention is James Carter.

A few years back I heard him in a group with Steve Turre doing a tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk. The emotional depth and beauty of his clarinet playing was one of the highlights of the show for me. I'd heard him in several other contexts but never before on the clarinet. It was definitely an ear-opener.

[BillF]

Just been listening to Al and Zoot playing very nice clarinet on "Two Funky People" from the album, Al & Zoot

[lipi]

Thanks for the recommendations, Jeff! I went ahead and ordered both the Faz and the Evan Christopher.

He's not on my list of superstars, but I've really enjoyed Bob Helm lately. (Living in the SF Bay Area probably helps.)

[jeffcrom]

Thanks for the recommendations, Jeff! I went ahead and ordered both the Faz and the Evan Christopher.

He's not on my list of superstars, but I've really enjoyed Bob Helm lately. (Living in the SF Bay Area probably helps.)

I like Helm, too. Hope you enjoy the CDs.

[jazzbo]

John La Porta is a favorite. Really nice ideas. And sound.

And I really like Tony Scott, especially late Tony Scott.

Edited August 24, 2010 by jazzbo

[colinmce]

As I type, I'm enjoying this fine collection curated by Scott Yanow. Hard to come by, but worth the hunt (though there's nothing particularly rare included):

(though note Mr. Bechet is playing his soprano on the cover )

[gmonahan]

John La Porta is a favorite. Really nice ideas. And sound.

And I really like Tony Scott, especially late Tony Scott.

I like the La Porta stuff I hear on the Debut Story box. Is that set of his complete Debut recordings worth getting? I thought the Fantasy cd was so-so--a bit too much third stream for my taste.

gregmo

[jazzbo]

I think you'll like the Debut material a bit more, less Third Streamy.

[Van Basten II]

Being more of contemporary guy, will go with Louis Sclavis.

[flat5]

I've known and played with M Moore since 1972 in Eureka, Ca. We both live in Amsterdam, NL now.

He is a great player and person. I'm not :-)

[gmonahan]

I think you'll like the Debut material a bit more, less Third Streamy.

Thanks! I'll give it a try.

gregmo

[lipi]

I've known and played with M Moore since 1972 in Eureka, Ca. We both live in Amsterdam, NL now.

He is a great player and person. I'm not :-)

Speaking of Dutch clarinetists...I don't know if either are in A'dam, but I've enjoyed what I've heard of Bernard Berkhout and David Lukacs (the "4 Beat 6" things).

[Victor Christensen]

Mine: Lester Young, Pee Wee Russell, Art Pepper

Vic

[BeBop]

He's not on my list of superstars, but I've really enjoyed Bob Helm lately. (Living in the SF Bay Area probably helps.)

Have you heard another Bay Arean, Jim Rothermel? Again, in the echlons below "ne plus ultra", but he's got chops and some kind of following. I rather enjoyed him with Dick Oxtot and Swing Fever. http://www.jimrothermel.com/PartialCredits.htm

[Brownian Motion]

I think I've recommended elsewhere the George Lewis "Plays Hymns" album on Milneberg. Really distinctive.

The Louis Cottrell sessions that Christien produced for Riverside are gems as well.

I love the Louis Cottrell album--clarinet, guitar, and bass--it's so refreshing to hear New Orleans jazz from this period without the clunky, non-swinging traditional pianists who mar some otherwise decent recordings.

Herb Hall is as good as Ed Hall, maybe better.

Haven't heard much Jack Maheu, but he plays a very emotional clarinet.

Frank Chace sounded more like Pre-War Pee Wee Russell than Pee Wee did. As I mentioned in this forum once before, Chace was a perfect foil for Jabbo Smith's last great recordings.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Brownian Motion

[jazzbo]

Thanks for mentioning Jack Maheu, very good clarinetist.

[king ubu]

Not really sure who my favorite clarinet player is... one answer would be Jimmy Giuffre, another one Pee Wee Russell, but then I've not indulged deeply enough into older guys nearly as much as I ought to. Edmond Hall comes to mind immediately, though.

Yes on Dolphy and Pepper, yes also on Tony Scott (though I'm more familiar with roughly 1954-1960).

Also now and then I do like Buddy De Franco, too.

From the contemporaries, both Michel Portal and Louis Sclavis are great. Also Gianluigi Trovesi (who usually plays bass or e-flat clarinets). Also Michael Moore is a terrifically gifted musician, in my humble opinion.

And yes, yes, yes! The Lonehill set of John La Porta is terrific, highly recommended to anyone with open ears or a liking of early Mingus, Teddy Charles or anything similar.

[papsrus]

I love the Louis Cottrell album--clarinet, guitar, and bass--it's so refreshing to hear New Orleans jazz from this period without the clunky, non-swinging traditional pianists who mar some otherwise decent recordings.

Yes. And yes.

[P.L.M]

Other clarinetist of importance, whose name don't have been prononced yet, is the veteran ROLF KÜHN (older brother of Joachim). He made a nice come-back with two albums on Jazzwerksttat this two last year with a new band of youngsters named TRI-O.

And by the way, ROLF is eighty-one years old.