[Dixielandjazz] Kenny Davern

[Stephen G Barbone]

> "ROBERT R. CALDER" <serapion at btinternet.com> wrote (polite snip
>
> Stylistically, Kenny was a jazz clarinetist, rather than a  
> clarinetist who can play jazz to a very high standard

Amen to that Bob. Surprisingly very few fans (and not too many  
musicians) know the difference. <grin>


> There is a certain territory in common between jazz clarinetists and  
> legit, and more common where the main influence has been Benny  
> Goodman. Kenny never went there. Once when he was gigging with  
> Peanuts Hucko Peanuts listened for a bit and said "Jimmy Noone" and  
> probably recognised some kinship between Kenny and Noone?which he,  
> Peanuts, didn't possess.

Kenny was a walking encyclopedia of "legit", or classical music. He  
loved listening to it and could quote chapter and verse about it.

IMO, from both talking with and listening to him extensively, his  
primary influences were, in no particular order except #1 below were:

1) Louis Armstrong - Both Kenny's attack and his manner of playing,  
phrasing etc., is that of Louis. In short, he p[ayed clarinet like a  
trumpet.

The rest: Jimmy Noone, Irving Fazola, Pee Wee Russell. He loved what  
they said and how they said it. By the same token, he listened to  
every reed player around including Bird, Steve Lacy, Coltrane et al.  
Of them he would smile softly and say, they have a wonderful command  
of their horns, but their point of reference is different from mine.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband