Assignment 23 -Drew

As tired as I'm sure everyone is about me talking about clarinet stuff in blog posts, it's one of the few interesting things about me, so I have to stretch it as far as I can. So here, in no particular order, are the best songs ever played on or composed for the clarinet:

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
While this whole song is indeed good, the clarinet solo near the beginning is perhaps the most iconic piece of music ever written for clarinet, as that glissando makes it very hard to ignore or forget.

Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, as performed by Martin Frost
Again, iconic music written for clarinet. Frost is perhaps my favorite classical clarinet player of all time, and he's a true young prodigy. If you can, watch him play this as well (YouTube or what have you), as he is so much fun to watch.

Sing, Sing, Sing, by Benny Goodman (or for that matter, anything by Benny Goodman)
The original jazz clarinetist, Benny and his various groups were staples of the big band era when clarinet thrived as a legitimate member of any jazz orchestra (sigh, the good old days).

Begin the Beguine, by Artie Shaw (again, or anything Artie Shaw)
While on the topic of the golden age of the jazz clarinet, this list must have some Artie Shaw tune. While Benny Goodman was the king of swing, Shaw was very often more somber and melancholy in his compositions. He, like Goodman, composed and performed his own tunes for the most part.

When the Saints Go Marching In, performed by Pete Fountain (again, to any other piece performed by him)
No list could be complete without his big round mellow sound. As hr has thrived in the jazz culture of New Orleans, hearing his rendition of this classic is an absolute must. Jazz clarinetists (and many classical clarinetists as well) around the world have been for decades striving to match his unrivaled tone quality, but there is but one Pete Fountain.