Quick, name 3 bebop clarinet players.
Exactly.
Well, Benny Goodman tried it for about 6 months, Tony Scott was in and out of it, and then you have Buddy DeFranco (1923-2014) who not only pioneered bebop for the fiendishly unforgiving licorice stick, but he was essentially the only one that dared to conquer it, and conquer it he did, as this 2 disc, 38 song set attests.
You get to hear the clarinet master in a variety of settings, including a swinging little octet led by Count Basie (who was in between big bands) with the team gliding through “Neal’s Deal” and “Tootie” . As with most technical wizards, DeFranco is most comfortable when challenged by someone with as many chops as he, and he sounds inspired teamed with Oscar Peterson’s Trio on ”Somebody Loves Me” and “Fascinating Rhythm” , with Lionel Hampton for “On The Sunny Side of the Street” or Art Tatum on a summit meeting that included “Makin’ Whoopee” and “A Foggy Day”.
DeFranco also led an impressive band that included boppers Sonny Clark/p, Bobby White/dr and Eugene Write/b for hip material like the sophisticated “Minor Mood” and lovely “Laura”., and when pioneer guitarist joins the fray, things get glorious on “I Can’t Get Started” and “But Beautiful”. Equally impressive is his work with Kenny Drew/p, Milt Hinton/b and Art Blakey/dr for an inspiring “Show Eyes”. One listening to what can be done with the unforgiving clarinet, either causing inspiration or desperation for aspiring students. For the listener and fan, it is a fresh and approach to jazz, and an almost baroque relief from the world of sax, trombone and trumpet. Check it out!