Clarinet Artist Bil Jackson

 Bil Jackson

Bil Jackson enjoys a varied musical career that includes solo, orchestral, and chamber music performances. Currently principal clarinet with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Aspen Chamber Symphony, Mr. Jackson has performed as principal clarinetist with the Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Cincinnati, and Honolulu orchestras, and, has appeared as a soloist with the Colorado, Honolulu, Denver, Charlotte, Dallas Chamber, and Aspen Chamber orchestras.

Mr. Jackson is currently professor of clarinet at the University of Northern Colorado and on the Artist-Faculty of the Aspen Music Festival. Join Yamaha Product Manager Jeff Hawley as he chats with Bil about the history of the orchestral clarinet in the United States and the development of the Yamaha YCL-CSG clarinet. 

Feel free to send your comments and suggestions to bandandorchestra@yamaha.com. 

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Clarinet Artist Dan St. Marseille

  Dan St. Marseille

Jazz saxophone and clarinet recording artist Dan St. Marseille plays in the tradition of all the jazz legends. Employing a warm tone and melodic approach, he has won praise from jazz critics worldwide. Dan's recordings are heard internationally on jazz radio and have been the subject of articles in such publications as Downbeat, Jazztimes, Los Angeles Times, Japan's Jazz Critic magazine, among others. Three of St. Marseille's CD's received four star ratings in the third edition of the All Music Guide To Jazz - The Experts Guide To The Best Jazz Recordings. 

In addition to local and national tours, Dan has performed in Europe, Canada and many jazz clubs and festivals including a headline performance at the prestigious Coleman Hawkins Festival in Topeka, Kansas. Dan's own composition "Claxography", written for renowned jazz photographer William Claxton, was chosen as the title of Claxton's new book of photographs. In May of 2001, Dan was the music director for an international event entitled "Clickin' With Clax" at the Los Angeles County Museum Of Art. "Swinging With The Saint", Dan's latest album, features jazz clarinet in many roles - from traditional gospel tunes to contemporary Herbie Hancock. Joining Dan on the album are Chris Dawson - Piano, Chris Colangelo - Bass and Thomas White - Drums. 

Find out more about Dan by visiting, www.danstmarseille.com.

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Woodwinds (Clarinet)

Clarinet

The clarinet, a member of the woodwind family, usually consists of a long tube with a mouthpiece at one end and a bell-shaped opening at the other end. Usually made of wood, the clarinet has tone holes that are covered by small metal levers. To create sound, the musician blows on a flat cane reed that is attatched to the mouthpiece. As the reed vibrates, a full, rich tone is produced. By pushing the keys to close and open the tone holes on the instrument, the pitches of the tone can be changed. Clarinets are manufactured in four keys; the most common band instrument is the B-flat clarinet. This clarinet has a range of about three-and-one-half octaves.

Clarinet

History:

The clarinet was invented in the early 18th century by Johann Cristoph Denner, a German flute maker, as a modification of a folk reedipe, the chalumeau. By the 1840s two complex systems of keywork had been developed for the instrument. Clarinets became common in orchestras by about the 1780s. Early works featuring the clarinet include an overture written by George Frideric Handel for two clarinets and a horn and the clarinet concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.