Le quartet de Dave Brubeck enregistré au festival de jazz de Montréal en 1987. Dave Brubeck (p), Bill Smith (cl), Chris Brubeck (b), Randy Jones (dr) et l'Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.
Bill Smith was my friend and my hero. Not a day goes by when I don't think of him and his wonderful clarinet performance and his mind. I treasure the two pieces he wrote for me.
Bill Smith is one of those under rated clarinetists who put many of the big names to shame...he was a professor at the University of Washington where he taught jazz improvisation...superior instrunentaist. He was former student of Darius Milhaud...that is where he met Brubeck another of the master's students.
What I so appreciate about Bill Smith is that he found for the clarinet an approach to modern-mainstream jazz that wasn't based on trying to play exactly like Bird did on alto. To my ear, no matter how great a technician the player is, straight ahead bop on the clarinet just doesn't sound right/good.
I love this recording, and have a better quality copy on DVD, which has survived for 30+ years. Dave Brubeck just loved to play, and his enthusiasm is mirrored in the other musicians.
Bill Smith was my friend and my hero. Not a day goes by when I don't think of him and his wonderful clarinet performance and his mind. I treasure the two pieces he wrote for me.
Bill Smith is one of those under rated clarinetists who put many of the big names to shame...he was a professor at the University of Washington where he taught jazz improvisation...superior instrunentaist. He was former student of Darius Milhaud...that is where he met Brubeck another of the master's students.
What I so appreciate about Bill Smith is that he found for the clarinet an approach to modern-mainstream jazz that wasn't based on trying to play exactly like Bird did on alto. To my ear, no matter how great a technician the player is, straight ahead bop on the clarinet just doesn't sound right/good.
I love this recording, and have a better quality copy on DVD, which has survived for 30+ years. Dave Brubeck just loved to play, and his enthusiasm is mirrored in the other musicians.
Bill Smith is a monster!!
You can find this melody in the first seconds of Symphony in D minor no 1 by Peter Lange-Muller