1978 Leblanc Promo "The Leblanc Has a Fat Sound"
Liner Notes:
LeBlanc Duet No.4 Featuring Pete Fountain
It's prior to show time at Pete Fountan's new bistro in The Hilton on the River in New Orleans. We're relaxing at a table near the stage. and Pete's describing what he enjoys doing when he's not here.
Fountain: I love to fish. I have a small fishing boat and go out on it a lot. Around home, my hobby is just tinkering with my cars. I have twelve antique cars, including a '36 four-door convertible like Roosevelt's. Could be his, because it has an oversize trunk, maybe for the wheelchair. I enjoys my Rolls, too. My Rolls and my Mercedes. Those two cars I run a lot. And I started collecting trucks. Have a half dozen of them. I'm really interested in old planes. too. The biplanes. And I love race cars. Got into motorcycles for awhile too, and still have my Harley 1200cc, Big Harley. I kick it and it kicks me back. It's tough. That's one of the things I like about my clarinet too. My Leblanc
It takes more of a beating and more of a Workout than any instrument I played before. I started on a Regent then a Pensamore. and then some others. But the Leblanc's keys are harder. They'll, take more of a beating. And that's especially important in my work. It's twenty years since I began playing Leblancs. and to show you how great they are, this is only my second one. This one's two yews old, and has about five albums under its belt. The other one, which still plays, I recorded 43 albums with, I'm so proud of my intruments!
Leblanc: What Kind of sound do you Iike out of a Clarinet?
Fountain: Well. I don't like a high, screechy sound. I like it more mellow, like Irving Fazola was known for. I have his clarinet you know, but I can't play it too often. When Faz died, his mother put it away in case, and left it there for possibly six years. Well, I got it and sent it to Leblanc, and I said, "Could you just recondition this, because it's my idol's." Well after they sent it back, I started playing it, and when wood gets warm you're reminded that Faz used to like his garlic. This garlic comes out, and it grabs you by the throat, and I tell you, it fills up the whole bandstand. So we always say. "Fazola still lives every
time somebody plays his clarinet."
Anyhow, as I said, I don't like a high, screechy sound. The Leblanc has a fat sound. They say it's my sound, but it's got to come from the instrument.
Pete's instrument Is the Leblanc 1611, an 18/7 fork Bb. with articulated G#. Made of the finest selected grenadilla, with gold, plated keys. It can be your instrument, too. Ask us about it.
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