Who first called it a 'licorice stick'? And what is the role of the clarinet in the [[big bands]] of the [[Big Band Era]]? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 17:24, 25 May 2009 (EDT)
:I think the "licorice stick" epithet came around just as big bands were becoming popular, in the '30s, though it's not clear if it can be traced to any one person. The clarinet was a big deal much earlier in New Orleans Jazz, where it played a mostly [[obliggato]] role (see also the page on [[heterophony]]). This role kind of morphed over into Big Band Jazz, where as a solo instrument it played lots of decoration over the main melody. The great soloists like [[Benny Goodman]] of course had a big part in shaping that. Later into the 40's, Ellington and Count Basie wrote some pieces with whole clarinet ensembles instead of saxophones, which gave it a special moody character.
Hope that helps. [[User:JDWpianist|JDWpianist]] 17:34, 25 May 2009 (EDT)