NYC 2007
I was down in Battery Park around 2am watching the rhythm of the night river under a silver crescent moon. I was all the way at the end of the walking path, where you can see the statue of Liberty in the distance. There’s blue lights around a garden area that may have its inspiration in the architecture of Japan. I thought I was alone until I heard a heavy sigh behind me and looked to see a woman seated on a bench wearing a cloak. Her hood was covering her head and she was looking at the ground. Her posture was one of despair and intense loneliness.
I was stunned when she looked up and had no face! Where her face would be was a deep, glowing alizarin crimson. We didn’t speak aloud, but telepathically.
“Are you all right? Is there anything I can do?” “There is nothing anyone can do now.” “What’s happened?” “I have been abandoned.” “By who? Where are you from?” “I am from the Tone World.” “The Tone World!? What is your name if I may ask? “My name is Alto. Alto Clarinet.”
“There have been only a few attempts to bring me life here. I am not seen, but worse, I’m not heard. I’m misunderstood, ridiculed, and considered an outcast by many, a pretender.
I was born in Ancient Egypt, and then moved to the The Tone world for hundreds of years. The Tone World masters sent me on a mission to exist here many years ago. First, the idea of me was given to Iwan Müller and Johann Grenser. They got me started and then sent me to Adolphe Sax to be finished.
With not enough people to give me life, I am unable to truly exist. My light sound is dim. I fear I am fading into oblivion.”“Well, not just yet. Perhaps I can help.”
“What can be done?” (said with caution but hope)“Our meeting is no accident. We’ll begin by me playing your sound. I’ll give you everything I can give you. It makes sense that I met you here at 2am. I met bass clarinet here at 4am. I have close friends in the tone world, and if we all work together, then we can solidify your existence. It’s just not right to leave any sound behind.” “Are the people ready for me now?” “People are strange but so are you, and so am I. We’re also harmolodic, I’ll explain. Trust me. Come with me.”
Alto gently placed her hand in mine and gingerly stood up from the bench. She whispered to me: “Where shall we go?”
I looked back to the path that led me here, that also led make to my room uptown in Washington Heights and told her:
“Our future awaits.”
****
Part 2
I remember bidding and winning an alto clarinet on Ebay while I was working at Sam Ash at the late Music Row in NYC. This was right around the time I met Giuseppi Logan. The only time I saw or heard anyone play the AC was Sabir Mateen. At the time I was in 3 of Sab's bands. I was playing trumpet and bass clarinet at the time and was very drawn to this horn that he was a master of. I got an open hole plastic Bundy for $300 and started checking it out. Once I started playing out with it, I was on a gig with the great JD Parran, the other living master of the AC. JD gave me some pointers and a lesson to get me out the gate.
Other than that, I went my own way, and in time, the AC and BC were battling for space. I decided to focus entirely on the AC for about 3 years, with of course my trumpet always being my home base and first priority. BC came back when I encountered a great one that I could get in a trade for my silver Bach Cornet. I may have maxed out 3 credit cards to finalize that deal.
The turning point for AC was at Ornette's. Almost everything I did or played with OC was under tight scrutiny. The most extreme for me was he told me to stop playing my bass clarinet mid solo, and said, "Give me that." He took it and put it on a couch outside the music room. He handed me my trumpet and said, "This is your horn." So when I brought the AC over, I was gambling and afraid it would backfire somehow. We played a free duet for about 20 minutes. Afterwards I asked him what he thought and his whole vibe was different. He said, "Oh man, you're onto something with that horn." I've never looked back from that moment. The next learning milestone appeared when I was in Bern Nix's quartet. I asked him if he wanted the AC, and he said "Sure, as long as you can get down on it just as hard as when you play trumpet." I doubled down, and gave it everything I had in 100's of sessions with Bern. Incredibly to me, I've been exploring and trying to define the AC for close to 20 years. I've definitely passed the 10,000 hour mark, though I have not mastered it. I have limited classical chops. Mostly, I try to sing, and do my thing. After many years I finally found the right set-up and as saxophone players know, that’s a big deal.
As ever, I remain fascinated as to why the sound has been cast aside from not only most classical players, but jazz. It has a unique voice, and a viable function. I know there's jazz AC players out there, but the only one's I know stateside are Sabir, JD, Andrew Lamb, Gerald Thomas, Jon Irabagon, Joe McPhee, Blaise Siwula, Matthew Banks, Madam Data, James Clark, and Dawoud up in Harlem. All of us practice horn polygamy, except Dawoud. He is the only person I know that only plays alto clarinet. He has a Selmer to boot, and is proud of it. This clip below from a Selmer ad says it all about the alto clarinet.
Perhaps all of us not giving up on the sound is making slow progress. I’ve tried to somewhat lead a crusade for alto clarinet over the years, and in the last decade or so I have attempted to make her home here permanent after I found her in the park. I do believe I made the only solo alto clarinet album in history, The Abandoned Sound. If I were to be able to just play one piece for someone on alto clarinet, it would be Dusk. Alto’s big moment came for us both recently, as she took the stage with me and got to play with William Parker, Matthew Shipp, and Hamid Drake in celebration of Daniel Carter. She met the moment, and I was proud of her to step up.
For the ultimate technical deep dive on alto clarinet, Mark Wolbers has dived deep.
The trip for me is that I’ve never played better on trumpet. Getting a Bach 43 changed everything for me. I feel like I’m really playing trumpet after playing 30 years. As I’ve written before the horn was gifted to me, and was the horn of Kevin Clark, a true ride or die Philadelphia trumpet man. The bottom line is that life-force is attached to horns when we spiritually commit. I always wondered about E-flat piccolo clarinet. When Giuseppi Logan passed on and I was given his horns, now I had one, and there was no other way I would have been able to procure and pursue it.
In truth, the piccolo clarinet has also been dismissed in jazz, though is widely accepted in the classical world. What gives? Like I did with alto, I’ve tried to push, if not lead with piccolo clarinet recently. I actually went to far and was called back home by the other horns. Piccolo clarinet enables me to process the influence of Coltrane’s soprano playing primarily. It’s a way to sing really high with zero effort from what is required on trumpet. Freed from classical constraints it can also get exotic as Duke might say. I have a recorded moment with it that throws up a signpost to the music world, though most will not see or hear it. I called it of course Giuseppi's Horn. For Giuseppi, it was whatever horn he could get his hands on. He brought this one to Sam Ash one day and we got him a mouthpiece and off he went back to Tompkins Square Park. The further trip is the horn is stamped with the word LEVEL. As Matt Lavelle says, you just can’t make this stuff up.
When I see the Downbeat Polls, both alto clarinet and I don’t exist. When I see alto getting the shade, I say that certainly tracks with her history. At this point though, I figured out the spiritual puzzle in regards to myself.
I’m 56 and have played jazz/free jazz seriously for 36 plus years. I was on the NYC scene most of that time and have recorded a decent amount. I have never appeared in a single downbeat poll ever, including rising star.
I don’t beef about it, I checked myself. I used to though and would post my verified Miles Davis quote “there’s no best in the arts” over and over.
The downbeat writers don’t know me, like me, hear me, or whatever. I used to think maybe I just care more about the music than the game. I’ve had a full time job all these years so it could also be I haven’t had the time and money to play it.
A good friend and great musician told me we all have our own path to walk, and that hit home.
Since not being “seen” by the Downbeat polls has been my path, then that’s the path I want, and I wouldn’t trade 36 years of being recognized like that for the success of staying on my path.
My path believes in the power of music, art, and even yes, writing to be vital to what we are trying to do down here on Earth.
Here’s to all artists true to their path, seen or not. If being seen by downbeat is your path, or not, be blessed. (I say that spiritually and not religiously)
Peace and time to shed before work
ML
Dedicated to alto and piccolo clarinet. May their sounds reign and know peace
Thanks to Sam Newsome for inspiring writing on specialties. Also thanks to William Parker who introduced me to the tone world.
ML
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