Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews

Doctor’s Products

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The Doctor’s Products website is a great place to get clarinet stuff. Bore oil, etc, etc. The Klarinet list had a lengthy post from someone praising the Doctor’s new oil. Grenad-Oil®, from the product page, is

Use ‘Nature’s Way’ to oil your intrument with genuine Grenadilla Oil. Grenad-Oil® is absorbed quickly and completely into fine wood instruments and is the choice for the discerning musician that wants to add back exactly the same oil lost over time to their instruments.

Over the summer I bought a bunch of stuff from the good doctor, including his other bore oil, wood cleaner, and some other things. Oiling the bore of my clarinet was rather painless, but using the wood cleaner really scared me. It basically turned my clarinet a different color, light brownish I believe it was. In a panic, I put some of the bore oil on a rag and proceeded to oil the outside to get the clarinet back to a more “clarinet” color. Whew.

Anyhow, The Doctor’s stuff is worth checking out. So check it out!

Reviews

New Klezmer Book

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I got this off the Klarinet List

My new book, The Clarinetists Guide to Learning Klezmer. Is now available from:

International Musical Suppliers Phone: 1-800-762-1116 E-mail: www.IntlMusicalSuppliers.com or Tom Puwalski -Tski1128@aol.com

The Clarinetists Guide to Learning Klezmer is a how to book for Clarinetists want to learn how to perform “traditional” Klezmer. It includes 16 transcriptions of the recordings of Dave Tarras and Naftule Brandwein, and a plethora of all sorts of clarinet information. Feel free to email any questions and Comments I’ve included the Table of Contents…Preface

Acknowledgments

What is Traditional Klezmer?

Types of Klezmer Music


Let’s Dance 3

And Now For Something Different

Klezmer Ornamentation

I. Just Pulled the Clarinet Out of the Closet After 25 Years and Want to Play
Equipment 12

Technique – How Should I. Practice?

Practice Session A – Get the “Chops” You Need

Practice Session B – Listen to Klezmer Music

How Can I Learn To Play Klezmer Music?

Using This Book and Musical Examples

Thoughts on Putting Together a Band

Resources

Discography

Books, Other Study Aids and Tools

Sources for Klezmer Music and CDs

The Place I Buy Any Clarinet Related Items

My Equipment Choices

Biography

Glossary



Thanks Tom Puwalski, Clarinetist with Lox & Vodka and former principal
Clarinetist with the United States Army Field Band

Reviews

Jazz Conception by Jim Snidero

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I have to rave about Jim Snidero‘s great series of books, Jazz Conception. He has them out for Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet, Guitar, Trumpet and probably more. The book comes with a CD of the music being performed by a great artist on whatever instrument. On the Alto version it’s Jim Snidero himself (and he sounds GREAT), on the Tenor CD it’s Walt Weiskopf, on the Flute CD it’s Frank Weis, on the Clarinet CD it’s Ken Peplowski.

The books feature the same 21 etudes. They’ve been transposed for instruments other than Alto Saxophone. The Etudes are based on well known chord changes, like #12 IND Line is based on A-Train changes, and #13 Father Song is based on the changes to Song for my Father. The etudes introduce all the standard articulations and stylistic things one would need to know to play jazz. The first etude, Groove Blues, has scoopes and falls. The next etude introduces ghosting of notes.

My only gripe, and it’s a small one, is that there is not a separate CD for backgrounds. True, you can turn the pan over to right and you’d get just the rhythm section, by why not just include a separate CD with the backgrounds by themselves? Since I insist on students interested in jazz to get this book, I made a separate CD that has just the backgrounds so the kids can play without the soloist. You’d be surprised how many boomboxes have no left/right panning.

In all, Jim Snidero’s Jazz Conception series is great. I have 4th and 5th graders able to play Groove Blues, and A-Doll. Some can play some of the others as well. I hope Jim Snidero will add to this series of books.