[Dixielandjazz] Barney Bigard (was Lester Young and Jimmy Noone)

[Bill Haesler]

Rick Campbell wrote:
> I think a little research will indicate that Bigard was always primarily a clarinetist who was asked (forced?) to double on tenor sax ensemble parts by Duke to fill out the section.
in reply to Robert Calder's comment:
<The same's actually the case with Barney Bigard, who switched from tenor to clarinet.>

Dear Rick,
Also confirmed by Barney in his 1985 autobiography, 'With Louis and the Duke".
Page 37
"Its all the studying I had done to master the clarinet yet I hadn't really played it so much since Ileft New Orleans. I mean I playerd tenor with 
Joe Oliver and tenor with Elgar. I was self-taught on tenor and yet here I was making all my living on tenor and not clarinet."
When he joined Ellington in late December it was "half on clarinet and half on tenor." 
Very kind regards,
Bill.