Anyone else heard of this clown?

[AllenLowe]

http://davebennett.com/

that's his web site. The Portland paper said today that he is better than Benny Goodman. To my ears, all he plays is pre-digested riffs. This is evil music.

Give me Sol Yaged any day of the week.

Edited February 27, 2012 by AllenLowe

[Uncle Skid]

Today's jazz revivalism takes a new route

[JSngry]

When it comes to clowns with clarinets, I think the bar was long ago set as high as it can be set:

[AllenLowe]

true, but at least THOSE clowns made weird barnyard noises. This guy is as smooth as supermarket ice cream and about as tasty.

yikes, completely forgot about that old thread - this guy was in Portland (Maine) last night, and the reviewer, as I noted, said he had bested Benny. Oy.

[Christiern]

A reproduction in spats.

[JSngry]

true, but at least THOSE clowns made weird barnyard noises. This guy is as smooth as supermarket ice cream and about as tasty.

That's what happens when a society loses touch with its agrarian roots.

Still, the urge to hurl cow patties at him while he performs must be resisted at all costs, unless one is a certified socio-musical therapist.

[Free For All]

When it comes to clowns with clarinets, I think the bar was long ago set as high as it can be set:

Lew Anderson played Clarabelle for a long time. He could play and he had a big band in NYC which featured a lot of great young players. He wasn't a heavy jazz player but he was a good leader and a gentleman.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Free For All

[JSngry]

Good leaders who are gentlemen are nothing to be sneezed at.

[AllenLowe]

I loved Clarabelle - he and Princess Ticklefeather.

[Pete C]

The original Clarabelle went on to become Captain Kangaroo.

[Larry Kart]

Good Bucky Pizzarelli quote: "The next Eddie Daniels."

Too bad John Pizzarelli isn't the next Bucky.

[JSngry]

I actually liked Eddie Daniels as a tenor player.

Too bad what happened.

[Mark Stryker]

I actually liked Eddie Daniels as a tenor player.

Too bad what happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJq4311qIU

Eddie plays the shit out of A-flat rhythm changes here on clarinet in the midst of one of Thad's greatest charts. It's just a single chorus but he says a ton in a short space. Really tells a story. Actually, everyone sounds FANTASTIC here right down the line. Jesus Christ -- to have heard this band live in its heyday ... wow.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Mark Stryker

[Larry Kart]

I actually liked Eddie Daniels as a tenor player.

Too bad what happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJq4311qIU

Eddie plays the shit of A-flat rhythm changes here on clarinet in the midst of one of Thad's greatest charts. It's just a single chorus but he says a ton in a short space. Really tells a story. Actually, everyone sounds FANTASTIC here right down the line. Jesus Christ -- to have heard this band live in its heyday ... wow.

Agreed, Mark, but that was then. Encounters with recent Daniels CDs on clarinet almost rotted my teeth.

[Mark Stryker]

I actually liked Eddie Daniels as a tenor player.

Too bad what happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJq4311qIU

Eddie plays the shit of A-flat rhythm changes here on clarinet in the midst of one of Thad's greatest charts. It's just a single chorus but he says a ton in a short space. Really tells a story. Actually, everyone sounds FANTASTIC here right down the line. Jesus Christ -- to have heard this band live in its heyday ... wow.

Agreed, Mark, but that was then. Encounters with recent Daniels CDs on clarinet almost rotted my teeth.

I'm hip. Just wanted to drop a reminder in there about what he's done. Also, I must add: In 1997 I heard Daniels play with the Detroit Symphony and he gave a really convincing performance of the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto, a very difficult piece. On the same concert he played an arrangement of Gershwin's "Three Preludes" arranged by Don Sebesky that included a savvy improvised solo and cadenza. The encore was "Chelsea Bridge" over a Ravel-like bed of strings. I can't really comment on the records, because I haven't heard enough, but that night with the symphony needed no apology on any level.

Musicians -- and music, of course -- can be complicated ...

Edited February 28, 2012 by Mark Stryker

[JSngry]

I just liked Eddie Daniels better back before he got all "formal" and shit. Seems like the looseness went away, and the looseness was what appealed to me about his playing.

And yeah, I remember that clarinet solo with Thad & Mel. Loose as well.

Who knows, maybe he sobered up or something, in which case, hey, he made the right choice (if it was like that). You can always have a career, but you can't always have a life.

OTOH, if it wasn't something like that, then...uh....fuck him!

[Dave James]

[Chuck Nessa]

Funny - had breakfast next to Hal Linden and a "producer lady" a couple of weeks ago on 57th St. He was trying to convince her they could not "bring back memories" of Goodman with a small group. This discussion lasted for 45 minutes before we left.

[jlhoots]

I just liked Eddie Daniels better back before he got all "formal" and shit. Seems like the looseness went away, and the looseness was what appealed to me about his playing.

And yeah, I remember that clarinet solo with Thad & Mel. Loose as well.

Who knows, maybe he sobered up or something, in which case, hey, he made the right choice (if it was like that). You can always have a career, but you can't always have a life.

OTOH, if it wasn't something like that, then...uh....fuck him!

I guess my problem with your post is the need you feel to include the last 2 words.

Even the "smiley" doesn't help.

BTW, Eddie has a life. You don't need or deserve the details.

[JSngry]

Sorry. I get pissed off sometimes thinking about when good players go bad (meaning only that I used to like them, now I don't), and when I get upset, I often say fuck. Wishful thinking perhaps...

So perhaps it's me that needs help, not my post. Fuck me!

And if he did in fact go through some changes that resulted in his life improving, then I have nothing but the best wishes and highest congratulations for him. Seriously.

[marcello]

Eddie and his wife live a nice life in Santa Fe, and he plays the shit out of the clarinet.

I also loved his tenor playing with Thad and Mel.

One time I said to him "I'll always love you for your tenor solo on ""Mornin' Reverend" ( Thad & Mel - Monday Night at the Village Vanguard).

Edited February 28, 2012 by marcello

[JSngry]

I'll laways love him for those records, his work on The Hub Of Hubbard, and on The Return Of Don Patterson.

And the "fuck him" thing was a joke, but sometimes I forget that this type of humor is not shared by all, so...sorry. for real.

[jlhoots]

I'll laways love him for those records, his work on The Hub Of Hubbard, and on The Return Of Don Patterson.

And the "fuck him" thing was a joke, but sometimes I forget that this type of humor is not shared by all, so...sorry. for real.

O.K.

I'm going to look for that Don Patterson album.

[JSngry]

I'm going to look for that Don Patterson album.

Good stuff - Ted Dunbar & Freddie Waits along w/Patterson & Daniels. Origianlly released as Muse 5005, no idea what permutations it went through after that.

Interestingly(?) enough, Daniels plays a little soprano & alto on it. But no clarinet.

Also worth looking for is his debut date on Prestige, First Place, First Prize, First something-or-other. That's good stuff too.

[Dave James]

I'm going to look for that Don Patterson album.

Good stuff - Ted Dunbar & Freddie Waits along w/Patterson & Daniels. Origianlly released as Muse 5005, no idea what permutations it went through after that.

Interestingly(?) enough, Daniels plays a little soprano & alto on it. But no clarinet.

Also worth looking for is his debut date on Prestige, First Place, First Prize, First something-or-other. That's good stuff too.

That is a good one for sure. Makes me wonder why he wandered away from that horn.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Dave James