In the short history of jazz—only about 110 years—the bass clarinet has had an even shorter existence. Students of Charles Darwin's evolutionary studies might point towards the adaption of the ...

Bennie Maupin discusses his love affair with the bass clarinet. This story is part of our spotlight this month on musicians who play instruments tuned in the lower frequencies. This month we're ...

There is something Brobdingnagian about the bass clarinet; the sounds it can make are too grand for our human dimension There is something Brobdingnagian about the bass clarinet; the sounds it can ...

Marcus gets a clean, unfettered sound from both his band and his instrument on his new album. Trio+ is crisp, tight and varied — with more good melodies than we can dip into. This is FRESH AIR. The ...

Bennie Maupin has been standing in the shadows, enhancing the music of such high-profilers as Miles Davis, Andrew Hill and Herbie Hancock, during much of his career. Not before time, he steps up to ...

This is FRESH AIR. In modern jazz and improvised music, there are many single-instrument choirs, such as saxophone quartets and brass ensembles. Also, bands have clarinets. Germany's The Clarinet Trio ...