Clarinet lover s favorite

Hi Frogman: I'm glad you responded for I can tell you know your clarinet stuff.

Granted, Stolzman (or RCA/BMG) has elevated the visibility of the clarinet to the great unwashed. It makes me wonder that if RCA/BMG had backed Eddie Daniels would not the same thing have happened for an even better reason. Frankly, I think Daniels is just a better clarinet player, and that would include classical. On recordings, Daniels hasn't been given enough opportunity to prove his classical chops, IMHO. I first heard him with Thad Jones/Mel Lewis live in 1966 at the Village Vanquard in New York and I knew he was something special, dueling, as it were, on tenor, with the late, great Joe Farrell. Hell, I didn't even know then that clarinet was his principal instrument. I learned later that one of his teachers in New York was Joe Allard, a clarinet teacher legend, which probably accounts for that marvelous sound. Last spring I heard Daniels give a workshop up front and personal at Rice University and the sound and technique he got out of that instrument was just incredible. If you ever had the misfortune of hearing the Stolzman recording with the Woody Herman band you'd know that 'caution' is Stolzman's best friend. Cheez, it's embarrasing. Frogman, you are indeed lucky (you must have been on the staff) to hear Drucker play the Copland that many times in that short a time. I just wish I could hear Daniels play it once, on a recording, but nobody's biting. I asked him.

My nomination is an old one, Jimmy Giuffre 3 on Atlantic Records. The cut that comes to mind is one of my all time Jazz favorites, "The Train and The River." This piece was recorded with the help of guitarist Jim Hall. A close second choice from this same period is "Western Suite." These works are still available from Mosiac on CD (LP sold out) and to my thinking, represents Jazz clarinet at it's best. By the way, Jimmy Giuffre is also known for his work as a clarinetist, arranger, composer and band leader. He worked with Woody Herman, Paul Bley and Steve Swallow, Pee Wee Russell and the Modern Jazz Quartet. Consider giving him a listen if your a Jazz lover.

Travis, I agree with your comments concerning Stolzman and Daniels. Daniels is the superior clarinet player, and by a long shot. The question of a major label backing him is a bit complicated IMO. Marketing is a funny thing and it's oftentimes hard to understand why record cos. make certain decisions. If I had to go out on a limb concerning this example I suspect that Eddie, given his jazz and doubling background, is perceived as a tough sell. And, I'm really going out on a limb with this one, Eddie has a reputation for being very demanding and difficult to work with as far as business goes. Having said all that, while I agree with your assesment of his abilities, I still feel that his classical music sensibility is not quite as developed as that of players such as Leister, Drucker, Wright and others; or of his own jazz sensibility for that matter. You are obviously a fan of his, as am I, so you might be interested in some of this: Eddie was (is) notorious in the NYC scene for being an absolutely obsessive practicer (is there such a word?) to the extent that he would alienate colleagues because he couldn't stop noodling during brakes and would do so quitely even during rests in the music. That accounts for his incredible technique. He is also a bonafide equipment freak; constantly changing mouthpieces and horns and working on reeds while looking for the perfect setup. Driven is an understatement. By the way, he is also an accomplished pianist. Many players in NYC idolized him. All this in interesting contrast to Drucker who couldn't care less about having just the right reed nor horn. Stanley never works on reeds. Drucker is a freak of nature in that regard; he was born to play the clarinet. Wonderful sense of abandon in his playing. And while his playing is not always perfect as far as pitch nor sound are concerned; one just never knows when he'll do something to really surprise and make you say WOW! Cheers.

Thanks to all of you, especially to Frogman for your recommnendation. It will be a pleasure to find those recording suggested by all of you.
Karl Leister is one of my favorite clarinet player. I have his Quintet by Max Reger with Drolc Quartet and enjoyed it very much.
I remembered there was an old recording of Weber's quintet by Viena philharmonic but can not remember who played it. Any helps!