The Leblanc Dynamic, Pete Fountain model

Dear Sir:

the clarinet of which you speak is simply the Pete Fountain model Leblanc, and it was and is an excellent instrument,Over a long time and trying many clarinets, all of the Leblancs I have ever played are really good insruments. The very best Leblanc was and is the Opus, designed by Tom Ridenour, when he was chief designer for Leblanc, and there were others. the Sonata, and the Conceto. Better in tune, excellent sounding and buit very correctly and well.
On 27-Dec-15, at 5:52 PM, Ríordan James Flynn wrote:

Hi there,

 

I have a Leblanc Dynamic H clarinet with the unusually articulated G# key and and a Pete Fountain signature on the bell. According to the internet, the serial numbers for this model start at 268xx, but mine is 23771. These models were made sometime in the 50s?

It was given to me with the idea that it once belonged to Pete Fountain, but I imagine this is apocryphal. The clarinet came to me by a man named John Hayslip, who it was given to by a man named Tater Danke. Hayslip swore that Danke had gotten the instrument from Fountain, but there’s no telling, as he passed away some years ago.

However, a quirk of this instrument is that its larger pads were signed by someone named Bob Mario. To my knowledge most people don’t sign clarinet pads!

I’m not interested in selling the instrument, but I’m very curious as to what you might know about it.

Thank you in advance for your time.

All the best,
-MF

Resonance in Denver

†his is a true story for my son, who learned to play the Diesel game from an idiot in the family.

During the 80s, if you are or were of that time, distances across mountain areas covered with ice and snow and a scary place called Wolf Creek Pass, 10 thousand feet high covered with snow and ice, iy semed inconsequential, a long hilly drive, a few hours from where we lved in Durango, Colorado. What it was, was an eight hour scary drive. When your 82, you dont even think about it. It lies in a white snowdrift of the past, way past reason.

30 or 40 years ago, it seemed like nothing. And there was a Diesel in Denver that  could be available to me.
A diesel, the first one was an exciting thought. The idea of a car that ran on fuel that would not light if you threw a match in it, was both cmforting to a family man, seemingly much safer than driving on gasoline, and much more economical.
The only problem which could happen was getting water mixed in with the fuel, or very frigid temperatures during whic time the fuel could suffer and cause the same problem.
Water and Diesel dont go together. I remember reading that Rudolf Diesel, maybe thats his name) drowned from jumpimg into the oceanDiesel and water, or Diesel in water, dont do well..

more than anything, the thought ws of a different kinf of car, something really rare, and it was a Fench car, from a place where I had studied and played music Peugeot was its name.
Driving arounf western colorado in that thing was euphoric, at least in thought.

I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THEY CLOSED< AND WAS BACK ON THE ROAD IN MY NEW peugeot in an hour, driving quickly though the manual transmission, tough noticing almost constatt vibration through the entire vehicle. Noisy as well. The only saving grace was the diminishing noiseas zI went faster.
I got about halfway to Durango when Isimply changed my mind. It became a rattly noidy clttery drive.

So, being nuts, I changed my mind, turned back to Denver, found the shop still open and tried to return the thing.I was confronted with a large person of indeterminute background . He simply called the vibration something else, He called it resonance, pronounced nicely , with command. It sound much nicer, more gentle and correct, than vibration.

So, convinced, i drove the resonant pile of vibration back to Durango, al in the same night, and had achieve my fist Diesel.
Besdes being resonant, one cannot have a flat tire fixed because there is nor gas station having the tools thatfir the rim/

an one more thing, there were only one station that sold diesedl fuel with a filler that would fit into the small gas tsnk of my car.

But things have improved, or at least changed. Diesel was about 37 cents a gallon at the thime. The folks in Detroit grabbed that dog like a bone and made the fuel more expensive than ordinary gasoline. Diesel fuel is now more expensive that gasoline.

So, with Diesek, oneis driving something different, and on a highway in the West one might not find a deisel station for many miles.

Combined, my son and I HAVE OWENED PERHAPS 30 OF THISE DIESELS. IT IS A DISEASE.

SHERMAN FRIEDLAND.

 

Heartwood Heroines

 

For the past month we have had rebovations, a new floor had to be installed on the second floor. While the renivations went on for seven days, about a dozen or so residents were moved to the basement. All the needs of some 15 residents were taken care of there, in the basement. Somehow, we all got through it,but we had help fromtwo Heartwood Heroines.

They are Crystal and Angela,Every morning , early morning, Crystal would bring coffee for Everyone and cold fresh water. This transpired before the sun came up, and the coffee stayed until it was all used. Not part of her work. She took it upon herself, and it brought comfort. But sh was always Extra available, and it was a great pleasure to see her, Each and every morning.

She has the gift of satifaction taken fron helping others. Angeka knows and does everything, quickly and efficiently, and one can always tell when she is on the scene as she possess a srong and carrying voice. When I first entered, it seemed cold all the time, My feet, and all the rest seemed frozen . When we met, she took two heated blankets and wrapped me from head to toe in them. Surprised, but amused and heated, I was delighted to be warm and to meet this lovely and enduring two heroes of Heartwood