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When Bob Wilber first gained notice on the jazz scene, it was as the protege of the great soprano-saxophonist Sidney Bechet. It is to his great credit that he has long since developed his own voice not only on the clarinet and alto but on Bechet's main ax, the soprano. In fact, at no time during his 1960 session New Clarinet In Town does Wilber sound at all like his teacher, or like anyone but himself.
Since he was born in 1928, it would not have been surprising if Wilber had developed into a bebop-oriented saxophonist. However he was much more interested in hot jazz of the 1920s and '30s. As a teenager he often sat in at Jimmy Ryan's club, forming the Wildcats, a young band that included the great stride pianist Dick Wellstood. When Bechet was having an off period, he put up a shingle on his door advertising music lessons. Wilber soon became one of his only students, and for a time he closely emulated his idol, even recording with him. After leading his own group for two years (1948-50) at the Savoy in Boston, Wilber studied modern jazz with Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz. A period in the Army was followed by Wilber working on mixing together his Bechet roots and love of trad jazz with more modern ideas and a search for his own musical personality. Stints with Eddie Condon, Bobby Hackett and Benny Goodman (his main influence on clarinet) found him growing as an individualist. He freelanced in many situations in the 1960s and was an important member of both the World's Greatest Jazz Band (starting in 1968) and the remarkable Soprano Summit which he co-led with Kenny Davern. By the time he put together Bechet Legacy, Wilber was able to pay tribute to his mentor without being buried by his influence. He has remained a vital force in swinging music up to the present time.
It is only right that Bob Wilber recorded on a label called Classic Jazz because he has done so much to keep classic jazz alive and creative through the decades. Listeners mostly familiar with Wilber's work in early jazz groups will find his playing on this 1960 set to be a bit of a revelation. Sticking to clarinet, Wilber is heard in two different settings. Several numbers have him joined by a string quartet, a rhythm section and a French horn arranged by Dean Kincaide (who had arranged the famous Wild Bill Davison with strings dates of a few years earlier). Other selections showcase Wilber in a quintet with the acoustic classical guitar of Charlie Byrd (shortly before he became an important part of the bossa-nova movement) and pianist Dave McKenna.
"Bob Wilber gained his early fame as a New Orleans and Benny Goodman-inspired clarinetist. New Clarinet In Town from 1960 is a bit of a revelation for Wilber is heard either with a string quartet and a rhythm section or in a quintet with the classical guitarist Charlie Byrd and pianist Dave McKenna. Wilber is showcased on surprisingly modern material including “Clarinade,” “Django” and Dave Brubeck’s “The Duke,” coming up with consistently fresh and innovative ideas.
New Clarinet In Town consists of nine superior songs, few of which are performed that often and all of which inspired Wilber. While two numbers were introduced by Benny Goodman, one does not think of “Benny Rides Again” and “Clarinade” as being among his overplayed swing hits. Other selections include such pieces as “Django,” Dave Brubeck's “The Duke,” “All Too Soon” (which has a particularly inventive Kincaide arrangement) and Leonard Bernstein's “Lonely Town.” Throughout, Bob Wilber shows that he was very successful at carving out his place in the jazz world." -Steve Yanow
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