Celebrating Duke’s Birthday Part 2: Clarinet Thing plays Ellington
On Duke Ellington’s 118th birthday, Clarinet Thing concludes our two week celebration of his musical legacy, as part of the In The Moment Concert Series at Musically Minded Academy in Oakland.
Sheldon Brown, clarinets
Beth Custer, clarinets
Ben Goldberg, clarinets
Harvey Wainapel, clarinets
Clarinet Thing is a quartet of renowned jazz clarinetists featuring
Sheldon Brown,
Beth Custer,
Ben Goldberg, Harvey Wainapel. Clarinet Thing performs arrangements of unusual jazz works and originals on the entire family of clarinets, from the small Eb clarinet up to the large contra alto clarinet. Clarinet and jazz enthusiasts of all ages abound at their concerts. All members have been regaled in the press and in 2011, Goldberg was named the ‘#1 Rising Star Clarinetist’ by the Downbeat Magazine’s Critic’s Poll.
Founded by
Beth Custer in 1989, Clarinet Thing has amassed a large repertoire in it’s twenty-six years of performing including tunes by Herbie Nichols,Carla Bley, Jimmy Giuffre, Thelonious Monk, Eubie Blake, Abdullah Ibrahim, Alexandre Stellio, Duke Ellington, John Carter, and many others. Original compositions by band members are also performed.
Recent engagements include Berkeley Hillside Club, Berkeley City Club, Yoshi’s, Old First Concerts, Freight & Salvage, and countless other venues.
“Clarinet Thing’s first CD Agony Pipes and Misery Sticks was chosen the Top 10 CDs of Bay Area Jazz Artists: Features 16 lush and woody tracks the startlingly beautiful music is pithy and expansive like a great collection of short stories.”
—Andrew Gilbert, SF Chronicle
“Clarinet Thing is a killer quartet that plays a rich woody lend of original music, Ellingtonia, Brazilian choro…and other pieces that pop and sway with the pregnant sound of an improvising clarinet choir.”
—Jesse Hamlin, San Francisco Chronicle
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