May 16 - Woody Herman (The Musical Birthday Series, 5th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for May 16th may be found here: Liberace (2019), Richard Tauber (2020), Woody Herman (2021), and Liberace (2022)

 

Woodie Herman (16 May 1913 – 29 October 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader leader.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Name’s the Same

The jazz community is firm in

Canonizing Woody Herman, ---

Which isn’t how this clique would term its

Estimate of Herman’s Hermits.

 

 

 

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August 13 - Johann Christoph Denner (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for August 13th are here: Kathleen Battle (2019), Don Ho (2020), and George Shearing (2021)

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Johann Christoph Denner (13 August 1655 – 26 April 1707) was a German woodwind instrument maker, to whom the invention of the clarinet is attributed.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reed It and Weep

 

Johann Christoph Denner is generally believed to have invented the clarinet in Germany around the year 1700 by adding a register key to the earlier chalumeau.  -- Wikipedia, s.v. "Clarinet"

About three centuries ago

He tinkered with a chalumeau.

He didn’t know what he might get,

But it became the clarinet.

So now you know, for you just read it,

That J. C. Denner gets the credit.

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing. [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]