Thejazzclarinet

Back in the late '90s, I was part of a long, late night grad school discussion, purely theoretical, wherein we debated who might be the greatest (or most important) instrumental musician of the 20th century. We argued in terms of genres (classical, jazz, pop, etc), in terms of social and political importance, and in terms of historical importance. To the surprise of all of us...

Six years ago, John Richmond introduced me to Martin Benade, son of the late Arthur Benade, and I was given the great honor of playing several instruments from his father's collection. Among them were many fine clarinets, including one which had been

Born in New York City on this day 116 years ago, Artie Shaw went on to redefine the clarinet's range, flexibility, and lyrical capabilities. From his 1936 composition Interlude in Bb to his famous last recordings in the 1950s, Shaw developed and expanded the vocabulary of jazz clarinet perhaps more than any other player. 

Here is a short version of his ...

Back in September of 2021, I was interviewed by Eva Wasserman-Margolis of The International Clarinet Association. In our brief discussion, we cover a lot of ground: clarinet, faith, the blues, jazz, and some thoughts on the future of this music. 

Anyone fam...

As one who grew up in awe of Artie Shaw, I've always wanted the opportunity to at least test t...