Clarinet
Daniel Gouly
The clarinet is prized in klezmer music for its ability to emulate the human voice and evoke a range of emotions, as with the violin. It has come to be as important a lead instrument as the violin in klezmer bands. Clarinets can also play counter-lines and rhythmic roles. Here's a short guide to some klezmer clarinet players.
Yiddish: clarnet, foyal or forsht
Klezmer clarinettists in the late 19th and earlier 20th centuries included:
Argentina Iosele Grinblat (also accordion), Sam Liberman
Eastern Europe Chaim "Klineter" Gross
USA Carl Praeger, Berish "Ben" Katz (also violin and viola) Dave Tarras, Naftule Brandwein, Phil Bodner, Ramon Musiker, Ray & Sam Musiker (also sax), Shloymke Beckerman
Klezmer clarinettists in the later 20th century and today include:
Argentina Marcelo Moguilevsky
Australia Lionel Mrocki
Canada Zilien Biret
Denmark Emil Goldschmidt
Finland Annika Lyytikäinen
France Marine Goldwaser, Laurent Clouet, Marthe Desrosières (also flute), Samuel Maquin
Germany Anja Gunther, Bernd Spehl, Christian Dawid (also sax), Georg Brinkmann
Israel Chilik Frank, Giora Feidman, Moshe Berlin
Japan Wataru Ohkuma
Sweden Valeria Conte
Switzerland Joel Rubin, Michael Heitzler
UK Daniel Gouly, Dave Shulman, Emma Stiman, John Macnaughton, Jon Petter, Maurice Chernick, Merlin Shepherd, Ros Hawley, Susi Evans, Steve Levi
Ukraine Mitya Gerasimov
USA Alex Kontorovich (also sax), Andy Statman (also mandolin), David Krakauer, Don Byron, German Goldensteyn, Howie Leess (also sax), Ilene Stahl, Jessica Ruiz, Kurt Bjorling (also tsimbl), Margot Leverett, Matt Darriau, Max Epstein, Michael Winograd, Robin Seletsky, Sherry Mayrent, Sam Musiker (also sax, flute), Sid Beckerman, Zisl Slepovitch, Zoë Christiansen
Andy Statman and Zev Feldman in Concert (1978)
Andy Statman (clarinet and mandolin) and Zev Feldman (tsimbl) were young researchers at the time of this concert
Mazltov Di Shviger (Congratulations Mother-in-Law) played by Naftule Brandwein (c1928)
An improv introduction and then a tune also known as Behusher Khosid (see Violin collection)
Doyne un Skotshne played by Paul Pincus
With Hymie Jacobson's Orchestra
Dave Tarras Tribute Concert 1978
Dave Tarras Trio plays Klezmer Music: Dave Tarras (clarinet), Samuel Beckerman (accordion), and Max Goldberg (drums and voice)
Mayn Tayere Odessa (My Dear Odessa) played by Dave Tarras (1926)
Gorgeous zhok (slow hora)-style melody. There is a version played by Belf's Romanian Orchestra with a different B section
Ot Azoy ('That's the Way') played by Shloimke Beckerman (1924)
'Ot Azoy' is a tune with a chorus where everyone sings 'ot azoy' and then 'git azoy' - that's the way, it's good that way.
Dave Tarras (clarinet) plays Dave's Nign
Kiev Freylekhs/ Nifty, shpil es nokh a mol
"Shpil es Nokh a Mol" (Play it again!). A version of the tune we call 'Kiev Freylekhs', played by the great klezmer clarinetist Naftule Brandwein.