Famous Clarinet Players

Sidney Bechet was one of the first great soloists in the history of jazz, and his influence on the music — particularly on the soprano saxophone, which he later adopted as his primary instrument — was immense. On the clarinet, Bechet's sound was unmistakable: a wide, commanding vibrato, a bold and emotionally direct tone, and a gift for melodic storytelling that could reduce a room to silence. He was a child prodigy in New Orleans who went on to tour Europe as early as the 1920s, eventually settling in Paris where he became a national treasure. His recordings of "Petite Fleur" and "Blue Horizon" remain essential listening for anyone exploring jazz clarinet.

Johnny Dodds was the premier clarinetist of early jazz — and for many listeners, the most emotionally powerful player the instrument has ever produced. Born in New Orleans in 1892, Dodds grew up surrounded by music and took up the clarinet as a teenager. He played with Kid Ory's band from 1912, joined King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band in Chicago, and went on to record with Louis Armstrong's legendary Hot Five and Hot Seven sessions and Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers. His tone was enormous — a rich, full-bodied sound driven by a hard reed and double embouchure — and his playing was drenched in the blues. Benny Goodman himself said that nobody ever surpassed Dodds in achieving a finer tone on the clarinet.

Dodds was a master of collective improvisation, creating counter-melodies that locked perfectly with the ensemble while always serving the emotional arc of the music. His famous solo on "Dippermouth Blues" with King Oliver became one of the most copied clarinet solos of the era. After years as the house bandleader at Kelly's Stables in Chicago, health problems curtailed his recording in the 1930s, and he died of a heart attack in 1940 at the age of 48. He was posthumously inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987.

If you'd like to explore the world of Johnny Dodds through your own playing, Mais Yeah! — Easy Jazz Clarinet Pieces Inspired by Johnny Dodds is a collection of original pieces written in tribute to Johnny Dodds, available from SaxTeacher UK. It's designed for beginner and intermediate players (ABRSM Grades 1–4) and takes you on a musical journey through 1920s New Orleans.

Jimmie Noone led the Apex Club Orchestra in 1920s Chicago and became one of the most influential clarinet voices of the decade. Where Johnny Dodds was earthy and bluesy, Noone was smoother and more lyrical — a polished player with a warm, singing tone that strongly influenced the next generation of clarinetists, including the young Benny Goodman. Noone studied with Lorenzo Tio Jr. in New Orleans, whose teaching also shaped Barney Bigard and Albert Nicholas. His recordings with the Apex Club Orchestra, particularly the up-tempo showpieces, display a silky command of the instrument that set a new standard for jazz clarinet playing.

Barney Bigard spent fifteen years as the clarinetist in Duke Ellington's orchestra, and his liquid, singing tone — particularly in the instrument's lower register — became a defining colour of the Ellington sound. He was born in New Orleans and trained by Lorenzo Tio Jr., who taught him the melody that would later become "Mood Indigo," one of Ellington's most famous pieces. Bigard played an Albert-system clarinet (unusual in jazz by that time) which contributed to his distinctively warm, woody sound. After leaving Ellington in 1942, Bigard went on to play with Louis Armstrong's All Stars for much of the 1950s and 1960s.

No list of famous clarinet players can begin anywhere other than Benny Goodman. Known as the "King of Swing", Goodman brought jazz clarinet to the masses and became one of the biggest stars of the 1930s and 1940s. His playing was technically brilliant — crisp articulation, laser-sharp rhythm, and an effortless command of the instrument's full range. He led one of the first racially integrated bands in the United States, hiring African American musicians like pianist Teddy Wilson and guitarist Charlie Christian at a time when segregation was the norm. His landmark 1938 concert at Carnegie Hall is often credited with proving that jazz could be taken seriously as an art form. Beyond swing, Goodman had a deep interest in classical music, commissioning new works from composers including Béla Bartók, Aaron Copland and Paul Hindemith. He played Selmer clarinets for much of his career before switching to a Buffet Crampon later in life.

Artie Shaw was Benny Goodman's great swing-era counterpart — and, in the opinion of many musicians, the more adventurous player. Shaw's tone was refined and singing, his phrasing elegant and full of dramatic arc, and his arranging often blended jazz with classical influences in ways that were ahead of their time. His 1938 recording of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" made him an overnight sensation and remains one of the best-selling jazz records ever made. Shaw also led one of the first small groups within a big band — the Gramercy Five — and was one of the first white bandleaders to hire a full-time Black vocalist, bringing Billie Holiday into his orchestra in 1938. He retired from music in 1954 to pursue writing and other interests, but his recordings continue to set the standard for swing clarinet playing.

Woody Herman was a bandleader, clarinetist and saxophonist whose big bands — collectively known as "the Herd" — were famous for their energy, versatility and willingness to embrace new musical directions. While Goodman and Shaw largely stayed within the swing idiom, Herman's bands evolved through bebop, cool jazz and beyond. His clarinet playing was characterised by enthusiasm, rhythmic drive and a bluesy edge. Herman's career spanned over five decades, and his commitment to showcasing young talent gave many future jazz stars their first major platform.

Pete Fountain was the king of Dixieland clarinet. Based in New Orleans throughout his career, Fountain played with a sweet, fluid tone that made traditional jazz accessible to a wide audience. He appeared on The Tonight Show over fifty times, ran his own club on Bourbon Street, and was largely responsible for the renewed popular interest in Dixieland jazz from the 1950s onwards. Fountain favoured large-bore clarinets — LeBlanc custom-made an instrument for him — and used crystal mouthpieces, which contributed to his characteristically warm, rounded sound. He was one of the most recognised clarinetists in America for decades.

While most clarinetists stayed in the swing idiom, Buddy DeFranco took the instrument headlong into bebop. His technique was formidable — fast, precise and harmonically sophisticated — and he proved that the clarinet could hold its own alongside saxophonists in the complex new language of modern jazz. DeFranco played with Count Basie, recorded alongside Art Tatum, and led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for over a decade. He has sometimes been called "the Charlie Parker of the clarinet" — a title that speaks to both his virtuosity and the revolutionary nature of what he attempted. He was a Yamaha artist for the last forty years of his career.

Sabine Meyer is one of the most distinguished classical clarinetists of the modern era. The German-born player has performed with hundreds of orchestras worldwide and recorded an extensive catalogue spanning Mozart, Brahms, Weber and contemporary works. She became the subject of international attention early in her career when her appointment to the Berlin Philharmonic was controversially vetoed by conductor Herbert von Karajan — a dispute that, paradoxically, helped launch her career as a major solo artist. Meyer has a special interest in chamber music and plays custom-made German-system clarinets by Wurlitzer and Schwenk & Seggelke. Her playing is celebrated for its purity of tone, impeccable intonation and stylistic versatility.

Martin Fröst has done more than almost anyone alive to expand the possibilities of the clarinet as a solo instrument. The Swedish clarinetist and conductor has performed with leading orchestras around the world — including the New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre de Paris — and was the first clarinetist awarded the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, one of classical music's highest honours. Fröst's performances are renowned for their physicality and theatrical energy: he moves across the stage, incorporates choreography and light design, and draws on influences from jazz, folk and electronic music. He was appointed principal conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra in 2019.

Richard Stoltzman is one of the most well-known clarinetists in the United States. He was the first wind player to be a regular soloist with the New York Philharmonic in its subscription concerts, and the first clarinetist to win a Grammy Award in a non-orchestral category. Stoltzman's repertoire ranges from Bach and Mozart to jazz, and he has commissioned and premiered numerous works for the clarinet. He plays a Buffet Crampon R-13 and is known for his warm, singing tone and ability to cross stylistic boundaries while maintaining musical integrity. His recording of Debussy's "La fille aux cheveux de lin" (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair) was once heard by every Windows user — Microsoft included it as a sample track in Windows Media Player.

Cuban-born Paquito D'Rivera is a virtuoso on both clarinet and saxophone, and one of the most exciting performers in Latin jazz. After defecting from Cuba during a tour with the Irakere band in 1980, D'Rivera built a remarkable career in the United States, winning multiple Grammy Awards and performing with orchestras and jazz ensembles around the world. His clarinet playing blends dazzling technique with the rhythmic vitality of Cuban music, and he moves between jazz, classical and Latin idioms with total authority. He currently plays Luis Rossi clarinets custom-built with full Boehm keywork.

Israeli-born and New York-based, Anat Cohen has been voted Jazz Clarinetist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association every year since 2007 — a remarkable and unprecedented run. Her playing combines deep roots in the swing and New Orleans traditions with a passionate love of Brazilian choro music, creating a sound that is joyful, rhythmically infectious and entirely her own. Cohen leads several ensembles, including the Tentet and Quartetinho, and has done more than perhaps any living musician to demonstrate that the clarinet remains a vital, evolving voice in contemporary jazz.

Eddie Daniels is a virtuoso clarinetist equally at home in jazz and classical settings. His tone is warm, centred and projecting — a sound often described as bringing a classical richness to jazz phrasing. Daniels spent years playing Buffet R13 clarinets before becoming a Backun artist, and he now plays Backun MoBa clarinets in cocobolo wood. His ability to move seamlessly between a concerto performance with a symphony orchestra and an improvised jazz set is a rare gift, and his recordings have won him a Grammy Award and widespread critical acclaim.