Asking myself this question recently. Where does my Style of playing come from? Well if I had to give a couple players of Jazz, I would generally give these 3 players.
3 players, that's what it is. I would tell you to listen to these guys. So with that,
3. Benny Goodman. Now, people may read this, and be angered that Goodman isn't number 1, I'll explain why he isn't. Well not for me, at least. Goodman had a great tonal quality, but if you listen to him in a classical setting, he felt awkward, because he never liked classical. Goodman could play high notes, but if you listen, most of the time, he's a little sloppy. If you listen towards the end of his carrier, as well as life, you could find he was leaking air. He was taught classically, and Yes, he was "The King of Swing" But if you can't play classical, and your just a jazz player, you won't be to sought after.
2. Artie Shaw. When asked about him, Les Robinson said "He never made a bad record. At least when I was with him, he never made a bad record." No one ever disagreed. I don't either, but there is ONE exception. Towards the end, he picked up a Buffet Crampon clarinet, which is what I use to play as well. He didn't use the "hand picking" method of a clarinet. He just picked one up and played. You can hear in his later records, he just blew hollow air into the clarinet, discovering what the instrument could do, listening to what the instrument could or could not do. If you ask me, I love the sound of his Selmers, and for some while, Leblancs. But with Shaw, there was only one problem: He bit the crap out of his reeds. Now, I'm not sure if he did it to make sure he could get the High notes out, which he was so famous for doing, or it could be the fact that he was self taught, and had nobody to teach him how and how not to play, only because he was an alto sax player, he taught himself to play clarinet, because (what I think happened was) Roger Wolfe Kahn, wanted a clarinet in the band, and seeing as though Shaw played lead alto sax at the time, so He told him to learn. Kinda like why I learned to play Tenor sax. But that's a different story for a different time.
1. Eddie Daniels. Why him as number 1? There are so many other players! Well, simply because of this reason: He's a combo of all of them. Yes, the two stated above are great, but have you not listened to Eddie lecture, and teach? There are a series of videos on Youtube in which he gives responses to being asked questions about recording the "Five Seasons" album. Yes, there is a Jazz version of "Four seasons" BUT, it's not all jazz. That's what I love about Eddie Daniels: He can play both Jazz and Classical, all with a good sounding Tonal quality, like Goodman, and he can play high, fast and loud, like Shaw, but when it comes time to get down to business, he's there. If you listen to his version of Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa" featuring Bucky Fizzarelli on Guitar, you can really hear his unique technique, and his great ability as well as flexibility as he plays a STUNNING version, But on Bass Clarinet, of all instruments. He also, when asked to, played a Jazz version of "Somewhere over the rainbow" in beautiful time, and perfect swing. He also gave advice on how to do Vibrato on the clarinet, which helped me learn how to do vibrato, at the time when I still had a bad "biting the reed" problem. Now. I find myself able to follow his instruction more. What I would give to have a jam session with the guy. I feel as though when you listen to him as well, play a piece like "Stompin' at the savoy," originally a swing tune, and I hear him play it in really great latin/salsa beat, and then he transitions into swing time, I find it AMAZING to hear. He also can play that great Shaw type "high note" quality, with perfect tone. It's brilliant. And when you hear him do signature Goodman licks, you wonder "Who Taught this guy?" or was he self taught, Like Shaw?
I think that's enough blabbering on for one night, don't you agree?
Goodnight Everybody!
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