Dave Bennett - Clarinet Is King: Songs Of Great Clarinetists

Size: 134,3 MB
Time: 57:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Begin The Beguine (3:33)
02. Stranger On The Shore (4:42)
03. Dizzy Spells (3:29)
04. St. James Infirmary (7:04)
05. You Are My Sunshine (8:42)
06. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen (3:09)
07. Wire Brush Stomp (2:15)
08. Where Or When (2:49)
09. China Boy (5:15)
10. Mood Indigo (4:51)
11. Oh, Lady Be Good! (6:42)
12. Nightmare (4:58)

On this recent CD, Dave Bennett, the young Goodman-inspired, self-taught, clarinetist from Michigan, features a few tunes from the clarinet greats of previous eras: Artie Shaw ('Begin the Beguine'), Benny Goodman ('Dizzy Spells'), Pete Fountain ('You Are My Sunshine'), Barney Bigard ('Mood Indigo'), and others. Bennett's versions are skillful, colorful, and convincing. His technique is second to none. His support personnel; Tad Weeds (piano), Paul Keller (Bass) and Peter Siers (Druns), are highly experienced, striking the right balance bewteen lead-to-sidemen solos and ensemble backup. Taken togther, the full CD is a very worthy addition to the list of very talented small-group clarinetists playing mainstream jazz. However, I have two suggestion on how this CD could have received my highest rating: a) the inclusion of more dramatic tunes from the great American swing library and, b) improvisations played with more dynamic and forcefull expression. My favorite is Bennett's engrossing version of 'Mood Indigo;' one of the best improvised versions I've heard from any clarintetist. This CD also has a few interesting features to note: a clarinet/drum duet on 'You Are My Sunshine,' the use of a bowed bass on 'Lady Be Good,' a horror movie effect on an obscure Artie Shaw tune ('Nightmare'), and a clarinet/drum duet on a tune that Gene Krupa and Goodman should have recorded ('Wire Brush Stomp'). ~By J.D. Traiger

Clarinet Is King

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