THE GLOBE AND MAIL R8 • REVIEW MUSIC SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2004

tually in the avant-garde for a time. But 60 years later, bop is very much in the tradition — in fact, it is the tradition — and this former avant- gardist offers only the mildest of 'I knew I could endorsements to newer directions. "Oh, if it's valid," he suggests without notable enthusiasm. But his voice picks up when he consid- ers the example of tenor saxopho- nist Michael Brecker, who ap- peared at the Buddy DeFranco Festival just last month. create my "He's as advanced as you can get, but he's still making sense, he's playing the instr ument beau- tifully and he's not on a fishing ex- pedition. Now that's valid modern jazz, sure." DeFranco has similarly warm own voice' words for Eddie Daniels and Ken Peplowski, two mainstream musi- cians who have given the new life, if not a new direction. "I was disappointed for a long time," Once a candidate for 'most overlooked jazz great,' he admits, "because the clarinet faded, and I seemed to be the only Buddy DeFranco, at 81, is now in no danger of being forgotten voice in the wilderness for a while. But in the past 15 years or so, a lot BY MARK MILLER, TORONTO Back in 1981, a British critic sug- lem one night in search of bop's of good clarinet players — with gested that DeFranco had "the pioneering alto saxophonist, Char- their own way of playing jazz — his is how every jazz musi- melancholy distinction" of sharing lie Parker. have shown up." cian should grow old. the title "most overlooked jazz "We heard him," DeFranco re- Their own way. Their own voice. Clarinetist Buddy De- great" with the likes of bassist Os- members, "and we both said, It's an artistic first-principle served T Franco, who's 81 and lives car Pettiford and saxophonist 'That's it, that's going to be the new DeFranco himself very well as he in Panama City Beach, Fla., has his Lucky Thompson. Note that wave in jazz.' We knew it immedi- continued to turn the corners of his own website, Pettiford died at the age of 37 and ately. And just a few weeks later, I career, from the big bands to the www.buddydefranco.com.His home page notes his Thompson was homeless for a started thinking seriously about bop groups, on into Hollywood recent induction into the American time in his late 60s; in DeFranco ' s changing my approach to playing studios and jazz education, back Jazz Hall of Fame and offers copies case, he was simply one of a kind clarinet. At the same time, Dodo on the road as the leader from 1966 of a new, 384-page DeFranco biog- and, for that, the odd man out. asked me, 'Why don't you try to to 1974 of the Orches- raphy, A Life in the Golden Age of He doesn't disagree with "over- play clarinet like ?' I tra and out again during the 1980s Jazz, for sale. looked," but he's quick to add, "I'm said, 'Funny you should mention and 1990s with vibraphonist Terry There are also links to his latest not feeling sorry for myself. I've al- that... " Gibbs. CD, Cookin' the Books, with the ways had a pretty good life anyway, Of course playing bop clarinet And it's a message that he takes popular (and inevitably younger) in spite of everything, and when I the way Charlie Parker played bop to the young musicians that he en- trio of guitarist , and look around and see all the great alto was easier said than done. counters in his travels — the mem- to the jazz festival that bears players who never get noticed, or "Very difficult," DeFranco agrees, bers of Toronto All-Star , DeFranco's name in Montana, where never got noticed...." "because the clarinet itself is diffi- for example, who range in age from he just happens to have a summer He lets the thought trail off, then cult. You have to squeak for a year 16 to 22. He also likes to promote home. Click on "Buddy's Itiner- takes a philosophical tact. "It's just before anything comes out of it the values of jazz to his charges, ary," and there's a leisurely but a question of what corner you turn. that sounds reasonable." how "it instills the desire to do bet- wide-ranging schedule that in- It's a roll of the dice, really." And bop, with all of its melodic ter and the discipline that's neces- cluded stops in Switzerland and DeFranco turned his first impor- twists and harmonic tangles, is not sary in life." Montana last month and promises tant corner in the mid-1940s. To to be taken lightly either. But De- Still, it's obvious that he's speak- a concert with the youthful Toron- that point, he had been a young Franco had his reasons for trying to ing from long, personal experience to All-Star Jazz band today, as well musician from Camden, N.J., via defy this double whammy in pur- Defranco: 'I've always had a pretty good life anyway, . . . and when I see when he adds, "There are a lot of as a week at New York's NC Jazz neighbouring Philadelphia who suit of what became a singular all the great players who never get noticed, or never got noticed....' good qualities to the idea of play- Festival in June. played Swing clarinet under the in- achievement. "I knew it would be ing jazz. There are a lot of bad How good it is, then, to find a fluence of Johnny Mince, Benny different," he explains. "I knew I the jazz musician's highest accom- loists who interpret the music their ones, too. But more good than musician who's reaping the re- Goodman and in the could create my own voice; when plishment. Indeed, any musician's own way, give it a fresh interpreta- bad." wards of a long career. "It took a big bands in turn of drummer you hear me, you know it's me." highest accomplishment. "It's the tion. But it's still the same music. while," DeFranco notes, in a tele- and saxophonist Char- Yes, that's DeFranco, with the clear same in the symphonic world," he And that's what I think is happen- Buddy DeFranco appears in phone interview from his Florida lie Barnet. But was in the air. tone and immaculate technique, argues. "We'll be playing Bach, ing with jazz." concert today, at 2 p.m. and 7 residence. "For many years, I Accordingly, DeFranco and a fel- admirable though under-appre- Beethoven, Brahms, . . . Shostakov- That would be mainstream jazz, p.m., with the Toronto All-Star wasn't reaping very much." low Barnet band member, pianist ciated traits both. ich, Hindemith . . . for as long as we of course. As an early convert from Jazz Band at the St. Lawrence He laughs gently at the thought. Dodo Marmaroso, went up to Har- A voice of one's own, it seems, is exist, and there will always be so - Swing to bebop, DeFranco was ac- Centre.