Re: Klezmer Clarinet

[Sherry Mayrent <oyfpro...>]

At 06:27 PM 1/24/98 -0600, Bob Jacobson wrote:

>Earlier periods aside, now that we have sound engineering technology that
>allows us to do pretty much whatever we want, why are there still only a
>small handful of excellent trumpet players who have chosen to focus on
>klezmer?

I don't know about why the trumpet players aren't choosing klezmer, but it
seems pretty obvious to me that trumpets could never really "shine" in
traditional Yiddish music because they simply lack the ability to produce
all those elements of the vocal style that have been described and
discussed here over the past few days.  While they have the element of
wind, which in my view is what brought the clarinet to pre-eminence in this
style, the metallic sound is a definite obstacle.  Yes, there have been
wonderful, expressive trumpet/cornet players -- Manny Klein and the Klezmer
Conservatory Band's current cornet player (sorry, his name escapes me) are
two excellent examples whose work I enjoy very much -- but they can't do
anywhere near what even a second string fiddler or clarinetist could do
with respect to expressivity.


Sherry Mayrent
Wholesale Klezmer Band
www.crocker.com/~ganeydn