Last week, NPR's A Blog Supreme published an informative write up by current jazz clarinet man-in-the-trenches Ben Goldberg, entitled 'A Strict Taskmaster': 5 Ways To Play The Jazz Clarinet.'
Ben is one of the voices substantially contributing to the current jazz clarinet renaissance, and his write up, while brief, is both shrewd and wide ranging. Of particular importance is his suggestion that the jazz clarinet is a relatively untapped jazz resource; that "we are still at the beginning of working out its many wonderful possibilities."
I encourage reader of The Jazz Clarinet to check out his post here. There are some great and often overlooked recordings on his list which might certainly function as both an inspiration and a catalyst to others interested in jazz clarinet.
Personally, the inclusion of Sidney Bechet's "Blue Horizon" was gratifying. I have long argued that the clarinet is unsurpassed as a blues instrument, and Goldberg's inclusion of this seminal recording lends further depth to our historical understanding of the instrument's expressive capabilities.
