Viper2838 said:
You might enjoy Channel one suite. My Band is whipping this one into shape for our next cd.
As for the high notes, I have always found its all about supporting the air. Granted, I am a trumpet player, and know next to nothing about clarinets, but i assume the concept is the same.
Hm, its not so much the air as the sound quality, because the volume of the air (as well as the embochure) mainly just affects the pitch, hence the tuning, of those notes. That and it is very difficult to get used to fingering those notes, in that register things lose consistency and cross-fingering is needed, and cross-fingering by itself is awkward to get used to (just look at the altissimo range fingering chart for a clarinet ).
It is all too easy to hit a high note up there (from above-staff D to sixth-octave C) and bend/warp the pitch, which is pretty unusual for a woodwind instrument. Needless to say, it is much more difficult than pumping air into the instrument. In fact, if too much air is put into the instrument, not only will the note go horribly out of tune, but the reed will close in on the mouthpiece, giving a weak and pulsated tone. Unlike the trumpet, where the air has to flow entirely through the instrument, these high notes on the clarinet go through a very very small section of the instrument (mouthpiece, barrel, and a few pads down the midsection) so embouchure takes precedence over air volume. This isn't to say that sustaining airflow isn't important (it is just to get the note out) but it isn't the deciding factor in determining the quality of the tone. Even a slight variation in embouchure style can completely change the tone of the instrument.
Its also hard to practice those notes.. they all sound horrible unless a band is supporting the clarinetist from the bottom. I can't stand myself playing them on my own.
Its probably why jazz clarinets are becoming more rare, its pretty tough to do. That, and there isn't much music out there anymore. I have to read off the tenor sax part, and oftentimes I have to take that up an octave so I can even be heard (and even then I am in the range of the trumpets). Provided that the lower-register clarinet sound can be heard in a jazz band (microphone is a must), it adds a really nice tone to the slower waltzes.
Oh, btw, good luck with the cd. Always good to have a recording around.
) Do you spoil your nephew rotten? You look like the fun kind of uncle. 
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