As one who grew up in awe of Artie Shaw, I've always wanted the opportunity to at least test the only American made model he endorsed: the large bore Conn 444N, aka the Connstellation.
Even the name rings like the legend of a bygone era, and the obscure, sometimes contradictory stories of Shaw surrounding the Connstellation add to the misty, Excalibur quality of these rare horns.
Well, a few years back I finally got my chance. Tom Ianni of Academy Music in Cleveland Heights called me one day, saying he had one available that I could take on trial.
The case was sturdy and well preserved - brown leather of a bygone era. Opening it made me smile: Excalibur, King Arthur's sword, would certainly need a plush purple lining, and so this case did. A royal instrument for the King of the Clarinet.
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| Conn 444N Connstellation Clarinet (Eric Seddon collection) |
The 444N is a plain Boehm system with 17 keys, 6 rings, made of grenadilla and pitched in Bb, as seen here.
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Conn 444N Connstellation Clarinet
(Eric Seddon collection) |
For years I'd read that Shaw loved the tone quality and the evenness of the instrument - from various quotes, it seems the intonation and scale were superior to other instruments of the day. But Artie also said, multiple times, that the 444N wasn't as loud as a Selmer, and so he had to resort to a
Selmer Balanced Tone on the bandstand.
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detail:Conn 444N Connstellation Clarinet
(Eric Seddon collection) |
Playing this old beauty myself, I found nothing to add to Shaw's assessment. It is exceptionally even in timbre for the age in which it was made - all registers are balanced and resonate uniformly, from top to bottom. The throat tone keys are a little smaller than Selmer keys, and interestingly enough, the instrument feels noticeably lighter. There is a sweet roundness to the sound, and the pinpoint focus to altissimo notes we so often hear on Shaw's recordings, but it never opens up into the raw power of a Selmer. In some ways it reminds me of Leblancs from the 1990s for it's evenness and restraint. An instrument, perhaps, well ahead of it's time.
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Bell:Conn 444N Connstellation Clarinet
(Eric Seddon collection) |
Because of this refined volume and power, Shaw hinted his use of the Conn was limited to the recording studio. But even that is exciting to contemplate. There are anecdotes that the 444N graced his legendary
Stardust recording, among others. We'll never know all the details, but I can confirm that the sound world of this instrument is instantly nostalgic - nothing to my knowledge has been made like it since. That ethereal, floating quality Artie Shaw got so often in ballads is present and I, for one, have no doubt many of his classic records were made on a Connstellation.
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Barrel: Conn 444N Connstellation Clarinet
(Eric Seddon collection) |
So what does a jazz clarinetist do when a
444N Connstellation falls into his lap? He buys it, of course. At least that's what I did. To have this instrument is to have a piece of history, from back when American instrument makers were among the finest in the world, trying to produce increasingly superior horns. It immediately conjures up the sound world of the 1940s, especially when paired with a vintage
Brilhart mouthpiece. And while it isn't much use for gigs that demand the volume and power of a
Selmer Centered Tone, it is perfect for house parties and other intimate settings.
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Case:Conn 444N Connstellation Clarinet
Ready for the gig!
(Eric Seddon collection) |
Keep swinging, everyone!
