I would consider today's best clarinetist to be Don Byron.  Though he is
primarily a jazz clarinetist and band leader, he does amazing work.  The
albums that he has collaborated with Bill Frisell and John Zorn on have
been great, and his album "Bug Music" has absolutly incredible arrangements
of Strayhorn, Ellington and Raymond Scott songs, along with a fabulous jazz
arrangement of Tchaikovsky's "Bounce of the Sugar Plum Faries." Nonesuch
79438-2.  It is very much worth hearing.

Daryl Loomis <[log in to unmask]>