Pete Fountain - Shine

[nemo227]

This guy would have been a clarinet star in any era.

[coonks]

Hi,can anyone tell me what clarinet and mouthpiece Pete uses?His sound is superb.

[JimV33]

@coonks He plays a 15mm Leblanc L1612 PETE FOUNTAIN model Clarinet with gold plated keys and articulated G# and forked Bb optional kays added.  The mouthpiece is a O'Brien glass 4* with the tip opened a little.

Jim Valentine

[llessur1100]

I've heard them all, but boy, when pete is hot, like this , there's no-one can touch him.

This is superb, pete at his best.

Russell C.

[cutanea2]

brilliant.

[JAZZ400CD]

brilliant playing, as good as my favourite player, who was George Lewis

[sattakhim]

i just love the clarinet

[misseverybodylovesus]

man i love this i play thew clarinet but im a beginner this is beautiful

[billyboy647]

Pete summed up the New Orleans style. A wonderful clarinet player--a wonderful man, a real Southern Gentleman in the best sense of the word. When he passes something of the Spirit New Orleans will go with him. No one does what he does as well as he's done it.

[Abriggs500]

I wonder what Benny Goodman or Artie Shaw to name a few jazz clarinetists, would think of Pete's playing. Haha... (Anyone know when this program aired on TV?)

[JimV33]

@Abriggs500 It aired in 1992.

[Abriggs500]

@JimV33 Thanks for your reply. I wish they'd air it again, unless it's available on DVD.

[profitleads]

@ABriggs500: It's a good question. Benny and Artie were both great. So is Pete. I have albums from all three. For me, I couldn't pick a favorite. I appreciate the bodies of work that each of them have produced for us.

[harleyboy120]

@JimV33 Pete started on Lawarence Welk!!

[Tony7840]

Nick to see that "Stick' sounds as great as ever, and is still with Pete. Last time that I saw and spoke to them was in 1998, while appearing in Baltimore, Inner Harbor. Was friends with them since 1967, while I was appearing in New Orleans. Great guys. Ronnie Dupont also played piano for Pete and "Jumbo," as well as having his own quartet in the past. He now lives in Charleston, SC.

[JimV33]

@Tony7840 Hi Tony,

Good to hear from you. Just got back from NOLA and Bay St Louis on 3,4 and 5 May 2010. Had a nice talk with Stick and Pete. Got to sit in with them again on 4 and 5 May. Always will be great guys!

Jim Valentine

[doogix]

I play the clarinet, and hope to be this good eventually. I just wish i knew where to start!!!

[davidl0917]

Omfg he is so good. He is like god of Jazz. Is there any way of getting the sheet music?

[dun4ukwitmebiach]

After hearing this, Benny Goodman popped out of the grave and went "Daaaaaaamn~"

[thelastnic]

beethoven was deaf, so i guess his perfect pitch was silence.. music is more then technique and lessons, you have to have "soul" alot can sit and play the notes, but if they dont have "soul" then the sound is flat. the people who excel have something more then perfect pitch, talent, etc, they also have that one thing that puts them over the top, what seperates wheat from the chaff

[akhy1994]

I think Beethoven had his own style and Jazz players have their own styles as well..

[Tech502]

Just need one thing to play really good jazz... Soul and rythem. If you have that and don't give a hoot what anybody tells ya', you'll go a long way in the world.

[slipknotmetal66666]

one thing , soul AND rythm , i believe one and one is two :)

[lobizoon1]

Great piano and bass player. And what to say about Pete...

[johnnichols55]

pure jazzzzzzzzzz!!

[omochicken]

And THIS is why I love jazz.

[Kunai505]

man, pete you and eddie are what i strive to reach. 6th year clarinet 1st year jazz clarinet =-)

[Kunai505]

can't w8 to get out of high school and head off to college i'm getting tired of having to prove clarinet can play jazz and that it can do it well =-/

[slipknotmetal66666]

clarinet IS the instrument of jazz :)

[Kunai505]

i know man but they won't listen to me =-/ i mean even my own high school band director laughed behind my back about me playin clarinet in a jazz band...

[slipknotmetal66666]

tell him that a guy from belgium told you that the clarinet is the most flexible instrument in the world and jazz is one of the only genres of music where the clarinet can be streched out to it's maximum capabilities. your band director is a musicn00b :p :) regards;)

[Tech502]

Tell your director for F*** off cause without clarinet and Big Band, he/she would probably not be playing modern jazz.

[T3hT4ng3r]

@Tech502

tried to have my director play in jazz band for 8 years, i relate (he taught middle and high school so you know)

[amusicianinparis]

Every instrument can play jazz It's just soul and creativity. Go on I' know you'll become a great jazz clarinetist. Greetings froms Spain.

[sushidudeiscool]

clarinet predates saxophone as the solo instrument for jazz

[linaodena]

anything can play jazz a good band director should know that

[Jfrute]

How the hell does he do that? This man is an animal.

[jimkeith50]

Awesome musicians all.

[golfdude2007]

He was Always on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson....and it was how I got hooked on the Dixieland sound.....God Bless both of you...Johnny and Pete!!!

[mileyrox982]

haha wow typoo. sorry bout that. :P

[mileyrox982]

i LOVE this pete fountain. he's an amzing clarinet player. iv'e been playing clarinet for 4 years now, and he is such an inspiration. great video. :)

[lobizoon1]

It can't get any better than this. We love you Pete!

[gggooodddyyy]

i did a report on this song in school the other day. its that good

[slowduck123]

beast

[david0sama917]

o shoot i forgot "my friends and I"

LOL XD

[david0sama917]

O god I played Clarinet for at least 5 years and out of all clarinets I like Pete the BEST! U noe wat i mean? I mean look at him he's just amazazing! Is it possible to get this music or something cuz me and my friends are trying to do this song.

[BRUCEK9]

Absolutely brilliant

[646879]

the only musician i know of that received a standing O from the tonight show band after his performance....

[pouzarot]

Re: crystal mouthpieces were all the rage some 20 years ago and I used one for over a year. The problem is that they are much heavier than standard models and tend to unbalance the instrument.

I haven't seen one in years and presume they have gone out of fashion.

[Ganondorf886]

Is a crystal mouthpiece good for classical and jazz style?

[JimV33]

Sure, Many major big name princapal clarinetists in symphonies have used them over the years dating back to the 1950s. Same holds true with Jazz clarinetists!

Jim

[musiu28]

Who is the bass player....?incredible....!!!!

[JimV33]

His name is Oliver "Stick" Felix. He has played bass with Pete for over 45 years.

Jim

[Trickdice]

This has to be in the top ten clips on YouTube Pete is 1000 percent......

[GMBogart]

Discovered Pete when I was ten in 1959 via Lawrence Welk (perhaps Welk's singular contribution to music). There was Benny, Artie, and then Pete -- none better. And check out his early stuff in New Orleans circa 1950 -- and from then on!

[Leanne60]

makes me want to learn to play.

[wilbuckingham]

Trying to reply to 'theredonetoo's' question about the pianist. Sorry for the multiple posts!

[646879]

a very soulful player who swings to the max...the jazz world really misses him.

[theredonetoo]

Great but, please, who is the fabulous pianist???

[david0sama917]

Most of the people think that Saxaphone is the center of the Jazz!! I mean look at Peter Fountain!!! I mean and I think Clarinets should be accepted to any Jazz like any instruments should do. Man!!! Peter is THE BEST and AWESOME GUY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too bad I couldn't go to his FANTASTIC concerts and I honor his skills OMG!!!!!

[amyh825]

He is such an awesome Clarinet player.

[esjcat]

I've had the pleasure to know Pete since I was 18. As a professional jazz clarinetist myself I've played with Goodman once, and with Pete on numerous occasions. After all is said and done, he's the man, like Roy Hobbs in The Natural, people can look at him as he walks down the street and say "There goes Pete Fountain, the best there is, the best that ever was". I've played the clarinet for 43 yrs., everytime I heard him play live, I wake up the next day and practice !!!!!!!!!!

[ahimbiz]

You've had an honor next to none! I wish I could say the same. I too play clarinet...but haven't for years. Pete is enough to make me want to start again. He is, and always will be, the best. I agree entirely with your comments.

[jjbenit]

hiiii we must make a clarinet Blog...... I like this man, and oldest too like beny goodman......

[musiu28]

Asombroso....deberian ampliar la cantidad de videos de este extraordinario interprete...sencillamente expectacular..

[bombero20007]

bueno es que coloquen este tipo de material..ya que no tenia anteriormente la oportunidad de escuchar y conocer a estos maestros de jazz...

[LkOutMtnMan]

Please post Strangers on the Shore by Pete if you have it! Love his version of that song! Like this song too! Thanks!

[hmathurin]

What a clarinet player. I'm working on a peice my self which i am tryiong to perfect, then i will post it on you tube.

[tedbove]

Pete is the best jazz musician that there has ever been!

[mclarinet]

Great! What a sound and orignal ideas. I heard both Pete and Buddy Defranco in person at different times. Buddy is a great technician and plays Charlie Parker on the clarinet, but he does not have the sound or originality of ideas. They are oranges and apples but they are both great!

[DTrinh09]

i've never heard him play before and i must say... Wow. (I've seen the "Pete Fountain" clarinet model online though lol looked pretty sweet)

[sundrop1974]

a friend of mine has a fountain model clarinet that he bought off fountain years ago, very good horn, it is the Leblnac big easy model. With the glass nouth peice you can get the fat Pete Fountain sound.

[mikespiperack]

Pete Fountain is perhaps the most under-rated of all jazz clarinettists. His style is a synthesis of many of the greats combined with his own voice. What a sound, what an ability! THANK YOU for posting this video, please post more.