Larry combs has the most amazibng tone I have ever heard.

If you`re into the whole clarinet vibrato scene (like me) then you might like Emma Johnson. Her vibrato is very beautiful at the beginning of Weber`s Concertino.

1) karl leister : he had been best until early 1980`s
2) alfred prinz : he was good but not as good as wlach
3) peter schmidle & ottensamer : notthing special, plain
4) antony pay : greatest in britain
5) de payer : musiacal interpretaion was good, but i don`t like his tune
6) brymer : unique tune & color of sound
7) dieter klocker : I love his clarinet
8) walter boeykens : if i were in europe, i will learn clarinet from him
9) sabine meyer : excellent technique, but i always feel somthing unnatural & dry
10) paul meyer : so-so, too plain, and sound is bore & not attractive
11) James campbell : one of the world-best clarinettist, pride of canadian
12) Larry comb : good,not above or below
13) Morales : philadelphia will be great because of him
14) harold wright, marcellus, drucker : od glorious american regends!!!, excellent
15) David shifrin : it was shame that cleveland lost him
16) charles neidich : versatile, but his mozart was below average
17) michael collins : his beethoven violin concerto (clarinet version) was beautiful, but other works was below average
18) george pieterson : great clrinettist
19) lancelot : good old days, miss him
20) eddie daniels : good man in jazz
21) stolzman : spoiled world clarinet listener
22) sharon kam : replica of sabine meyer
23) henk de graaf : found him recemtly, hidden card of netherlands
24) eric hoeprich : got a firm fundamental
25) ralph manno : may want to be the successor of leister, but don`t dream of it!!!

Artie Shaw, hands down. Benny Goodman was a genius on the clarinet but Artie sounded less fragile

Arno Stoffelsma, Solo-clarinet player of the concertgebouw orchestra.

pete fountain.

man that guy charms those dixieland tunes like snakes.

I need some help finding some info on Robert Marcellus. Believe it or not I am finding it hard to find besides books and recordings.Anyhelp would be nice.

I like Artie Shaw, Eddie Daniels, Benny Goodman, Larry Combs, Pete Fountain, Emma Johnson, John Bruce Yeh, Luis Rossi.

Anyone familiar with jazz clarinetist Alvin Batiste? I wish I heard of him earlier, I liked his playing.

I have some Henri Bok albums, pieces for solo bass clarinet.

Has anyone listened to Kalmen Opperman? I became familiar with him from his "Velocity Studies" books, I hope to track down some recordings of his.

Personally...Sabine Meyer gives an amazing performance of Debussy's Premiere Rhapsody, she can really move at the end of the piece, but in Weber's Concerto No.1 in F Minor, she rushes the pui mosso in the 2nd movement. If you want a slower take on it, turn to the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra recording with Charles Neidich, it's beautiful! He also plays "Introduction, Theme and Variations" like a true virtuoso! Benny Goodman makes me melt when he plays the Copland Concerto, his high notes are smooth and velvety not piercing like I have heard. Also, does anyone know of any performers who have recorded the Poulenc Sonata because I love it and I am trying to get my hands on a recording of it?

Sharon Kam and Emma Johnson are both simply mind blowing.

Jack Brymer, Martin Frost, Ernst Ottensamer, Sharom Kam, Richard Stolzman

I apologise for any incorrect spelling

Oh I forgot Eddie Daniels is up there too - he is amazing!!

Has anyone heard David Schifrin's recording of the Mozart CLarinet Concerto K622 and The Clarinet Quintet in A, on a lower octave extended clarinet. That was so awesome.

BENNY GOODMAN! He proves you can actually rock on the clarinet!! YEAH!

Who's your favorite clarinetist? That's EASY. Go down to Charleston, SC and have a listen to the principal clarinetist of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Messersmith. I've been familiar with his playing for many years and he is an OUTSTANDING player in every respect and a musician of the highest caliber. I live in Houston and while there are no jobs open in the symphony here right now, if any vacancies occur, I'd love to hear him play regularly in my city!!!

Yes, Sabine Meyer is very good also...is her son also a clarinetist?