Stuck in Your Clarinet Playing? Here's What's Really Holding You Back

Remembering Ken Peplowski: Anat Cohen, Paquito D'Rivera & Evan Christopher on a Jazz Giant's Life and Final Night

On February 2, 2026, Ken Peplowski played his last notes aboard The Jazz Cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. He was 66 years old, he was in the middle of a comeback, and by all accounts he sounded extraordinary. The next day, he was gone. In this episode of the Clarinet Ninja Podcast, Jay Hassler sits down with three of the greatest jazz clarinetists alive: Anat Cohen, Paquito D'Rivera, and Evan Christopher. Anat and Paquito were on that cruise. All three played many times with Ken. Anat and Paquito night before he died. What follows is not an obituary. It is a portrait, built from the memories of people who knew Ken on the bandstand and off it. They talk about his sound, his humor, his Midwestern humility, his extraordinary repertoire, and what it felt like to stand next to someone who made every musician around him better. This episode covers the final performance on the Jazz Cruise, Ken's tone and technique as described by three world-class clarinetists, his unique place in the long history of jazz clarinet, his years-long battle with multiple myeloma, his planned comeback, and the legacy he leaves for anyone who plays or loves the clarinet. Ken Peplowski recorded more than 70 albums as a leader, played with Benny Goodman, performed at Carnegie Hall and Birdland, and was called by many the greatest living jazz clarinetist. He was also, by every account in this episode, one of the funniest and most generous people in jazz. As Evan Christopher says near the end of this conversation: "He wasn't trying to sell anything. He was just trying to deliver." Find Ken's recordings on all major streaming platforms. Start anywhere. You will know within thirty seconds that you are hearing someone who knew exactly what he was doing. Guests: Anat Cohen, Paquito D'Rivera, Evan Christopher Topics: Ken Peplowski, jazz clarinet, The Jazz Cruise, multiple myeloma, Benny Goodman Orchestra, swing jazz, clarinet tone and technique, jazz history, jazz tribute The Clarinet Ninja Podcast is hosted by Jay Hassler and covers clarinet performance, jazz history, and the stories of the musicians who dedicate their lives to the instrument. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.   Lee Mergner: https://leemergner.substack.com/ [https://leemergner.substack.com/] John Abbot: https://johnabbottphoto.com/ [https://johnabbottphoto.com/] Cory Weeds/Cellar Records: https://www.cellarlive.com/ [https://www.cellarlive.com/] Clarinet Ninja: https://www.clarinetninja.com/ [https://www.clarinetninja.com/] Clarinet Ninja Dojo: https://www.clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing [https://www.clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing]

Virginia MacDonald: Forging a New Voice for Jazz Clarinet

What does it take to build a career on an instrument that modern jazz largely left behind? Virginia MacDonald grew up the daughter of one of Canada's most celebrated jazz saxophonists - sitting in smoky Toronto clubs at age four, surrounded by musicians like Neil Swainson and Pat Larbara as if they were just the neighbors. She picked up the clarinet at six because she thought the keys looked like buttons. Nobody told her the instrument had a problem. By the time she figured out that almost nobody was hiring clarinet players for contemporary jazz groups, she'd already decided she was going to make it work. In this conversation, Virginia talks about growing up in an artistic household, learning jazz by ear instead of out of books, her complicated relationship with her first classical clarinet teacher, and how transcribing Kenny Dorham and Clifford Brown solos, instead of clarinet players, helped her find her own voice on the instrument. We also dig into her debut album as a bandleader, her collaboration with bass clarinetist/composer Todd Marcus, and the philosophy behind her compositions. Topics covered: Growing up in Toronto with a jazz legend father and visual artist mother Choosing the clarinet at age six ("I thought they were buttons") Learning jazz by ear and why structured practice felt foreign The barrage: her first classical clarinet teacher at 15 Why she transcribed trumpet players, not clarinet players Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, and the In and Out record that changed her playing The shrinking clarinet lineage in jazz and what she did about it Her debut album on Cellar Music, including Last Call at Dimitri's and Eternal Return of the Same Her "Frankenstein" R13 and the crystal mouthpiece she hated for two weeks before never going back Practicing on the road: why it's a blessing and a curse Links: Virginia MacDonald's website: https://virginiamacdonald.ca/ [https://virginiamacdonald.ca/] Album on Bandcamp: https://virginiamacdonald.bandcamp.com/album/in-search-of [https://virginiamacdonald.bandcamp.com/album/in-search-of] Cellar Music label: https://www.cellarlive.com/ [https://www.cellarlive.com/] Stream everywhere: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal Clarinet Ninja Dojo (adult clarinet learning): https://www.clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing [https://www.clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing] Book a free session with Jay: https://calendly.com/theclarinetninja/30min [https://calendly.com/theclarinetninja/30min]

Clarinetfest 2026: Why you can't miss this year

What is ClarinetFest, and is it actually worth going to? In this episode, Jay sits down with ICA President Cathy Wood, ICA Executive Director Jessica Harrie, and Enthusiast Committee co-chair Josh Goo to answer exactly that. ClarinetFest 2026 takes place July 7-11 at the Songdo Convencia in Incheon, South Korea, and this year features something especially exciting for adult enthusiasts and returning players: the Prelude to ClarinetFest Enthusiast Workshop. Before the main festival begins, a full day of workshops, icebreakers, ensemble playing, and masterclasses is designed specifically for non-professional players who want to get the most out of the week ahead. Jessica Harrie, who now lives in Incheon, walks listeners through what it's actually like to travel there: the 25-minute ride from the airport, the English-friendly signage and transit, the Central Park lakefront, and the restaurants of Triple Street. Spoiler: it is a lot more accessible than you might think. The group also previews some of the performing artists on the program, including Kokoya (the Japanese trio playing Brazilian choro music), the Magic Clarinet Quartet, the Seoul Clarinet Ensemble, Jerry Chai of Seoul National University, and the Bass Clarinet Choir of Canada. The opening gala concert is being held at the Art Center Incheon, one of the most stunning concert halls in the region. Cathy, Jessica, and Josh each share their most memorable ClarinetFest moments, from Julian Bliss's American debut at age 11, to fireworks on a Belgian beach with a clarinet choir, to walking past Julian Bliss in a hallway in Denver and doing a double take. Jay also teases an upcoming episode with jazz clarinetist Virginia McDonald, and confesses to spending $104 on two reeds from France. No regrets. To register: Prelude event: https://clarinet.org/prelude-to-clarinetfest-2026/ [https://clarinet.org/prelude-to-clarinetfest-2026/] ClarinetFest 2026: https://clarinet.org/clarinetfest-2026/  [https://clarinet.org/clarinetfest-2026/ ] Theme music by James Danderfer: https://www.jamesdanderfer.com/ [https://www.jamesdanderfer.com/] Clarinet Ninja Dojo: https://www.clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing [https://www.clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing] Quickstart Clarinet: https://www.quickstartclarinet.com/ [https://www.quickstartclarinet.com/]

Stop Blowing Your Clarinet (A Periodontist Explains What to Do Instead)

What does this periodontist know about clarinet tone that your teacher never told you? As it turns out: a lot. Ron Odrich spent 40 years looking inside the mouths of wind instrument players as a practicing periodontist. He also studied clarinet with two of the greatest teachers of the 20th century, Robert Marcelus and Danial Bonade, performed with the Airmen of Note, and recorded alongside Phil Woods and Clark Terry. Ron has spent a lifetime connecting the science of the mouth to the art of the clarinet, and this conversation is the result. We cover the physiology behind tone production, starting with the single most counterproductive word in clarinet teaching: "blow." Ron explains why exhaling instead of blowing activates an entirely different nervous system response, and why that difference shows up directly in your sound. One player tested it live and said it felt like playing a different horn. We also dig into the soft palate as a resonating chamber, including a simple reflexive trick to raise it without adding tension. Ron breaks down the eight muscles of the tongue, explains why there is no universal correct tongue position, and shares how your individual anatomy (jaw, palate shape, lip thickness) should be driving your approach, not a one-size-fits-all instruction. Along the way, we talk facial muscle anatomy, the problem with negative instructions like "don't bite" and "don't blow," how to take a breath without losing contact with the mouthpiece, and what great tone actually feels like from inside your body. This is science-based clarinet teaching at its most practical, and most of it has never been written down anywhere. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE: • Why "blow" triggers tension and "exhale" triggers resonance • How the soft palate works and how to raise it reflexively • The role of the parasympathetic nervous system in playing with ease • Why tongue position is individual, not universal • The facial muscles involved in embouchure and which ones to avoid • How to breathe for maximum air volume with zero muscular forcing • What resonant tone feels like physically, and how to use that feeling as a guide ABOUT RON ODRICH: Ron Odrich is a retired periodontist and lifelong clarinetist. He studied with Robert Marcellus and Danial Bonade, served as a member of the Airmen of Note, and performed and recorded with Phil Woods, Clark Terry, and many others. He lives in New York. ABOUT CLARINET NINJA: Jay Hassler is the founder of Clarinet Ninja, an online learning platform for adult clarinet players. The Clarinet Ninja Dojo offers courses, coaching, and community for players who want to improve faster with better information. Book a free call at https://calendly.com/theclarinetninja/30min [https://calendly.com/theclarinetninja/30min] Check out the Clarinet Ninja Dojo here: https://www.clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing

He Studied With the Greatest Classical Clarinet Teachers and Played Jazz With the Best | Dr. Ron Odrich Ep. 1

In this episode of the Clarinet Ninja Podcast, host Jay Hasler sits down with Dr. Ron Odrich for the first of a four-part conversation that every clarinet player needs to hear. Dr. Odrich is one of the most uniquely positioned clarinetists alive today. He is a world-renowned periodontist, a former member of the legendary Airmen of Note, a close friend and student of Buddy DeFranco, and a man who studied directly with both Robert Marcellus and Daniel Bonade. This is not secondhand information. This is living history. In Episode 1, Ron walks us through his musical journey from his first teacher Sal Amato, a virtuosic doubler whose clarinet tone Ron still considers the most beautiful he has ever heard, to Jimmy Abato, to three transformative years studying under Bob Marcellus in Washington D.C. while serving in the Air Force. He also shares how a chance meeting with Buddy DeFranco at his father's home set the direction of his entire musical life. Along the way, you will hear some remarkable stories, including the moment Bonade picked up Ron's clarinet and played a Rose etude so beautifully that Ron could not believe it, and a phone call Bonade received from Benny Goodman right in the middle of a lesson. Ron also draws on his expertise as a periodontist to explain something very few teachers have ever discussed openly: how the structure of your mouth, your palate, your teeth, and even the vowel sounds of your native language shape the sound you produce on the clarinet. His explanation of how Marcellus's dentures contributed to that famous large resonant tone is alone worth the entire episode. Whether you are a student, a professional, or simply someone who loves the clarinet, this conversation will change the way you think about tone production forever.