At the age of 19, Julian Bliss, is already considered one of the top soloists in the world. Through his collaboration with designer Morrie Backun and Leblanc clarinets, Julian can now add clarinet designer to his long list of accomplishments. Says Julian of the project, “I’ve been thinking for many years of what I would like to see, feel and hear in an affordable clarinet. There are so many lower cost clarinets out there and many just aren’t very good. I thought it could be done better”.
Enter master clarinet designer Morrie Backun and the Leblanc Company. “Julian had been playing on my bells and barrels for a time and had just moved to playing the Leblanc Legacy when he approached me with the idea of developing a new concept in affordable clarinets with Leblanc”, mentions Backun. “Yes!” adds Bliss, “one that works properly!”
By ‘one that works properly’ Julian goes on to say that he envisioned a clarinet that would be able to “grow with a musician” and not hold him back. “It had to play with a clear, even sound, play in tune and have quick and comfortable keys”. Bliss adds that he also wanted the clarinet to have a look like no other. “In the UK, we would call this design ‘wicked’”.
Much of the “wicked” design of the Leblanc Bliss clarinet came as a result of Julian’s demands for a superior sounding and performing instrument. “We couldn’t get the sound we wanted out of the standard ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) from which most synthetic clarinets are made so we were forced to experiment,” says Backun. “After a lot of trial and error, we were able to develop our own composite material. Not only did this new composite provide us a clarinet that produces 20% more amplitude (translate more full sound) over ABS, we also found it stronger than we thought possible.” “In fact”, adds Julian, “we are so confident in the material and the American manufacturing that we have doubled the warranty from five to ten years.”
This new found durability allowed Julian, Backun and the design team at Leblanc to make some unique changes to the overall clarinet look. “We pulled off the rings and made the barrel and bell narrower just to see if it would hold up,” says Bliss. “When it did, we were thrilled because removing the extra weight from the clarinet made it easier to handle and produced an even more vibrant sound,” adds Backun.
From there, both men say the final cosmetic nuances were easy. Says Morrie Backun, “Once the rings were removed, the clarinet had a very clean and sleek profile. Changing the color of the keys to match seemed to be the next logical step.” Julian adds, “We tried a lot of different platings but kept coming back to the black nickel. In fact, I like the look so much that I’m having Morrie put it on my other clarinets.”
When asked if they are happy with the final product, both Bliss and Backun respond with a rousing ‘yes’. “Our original thought was to design an affordable clarinet the way it should be made. What we have created is a durable, value priced clarinet that players of any level can play and feel secure doing so. In fact, the majority of our orders are coming from military bands around the world as well as professionals that do a lot of outdoor gigging or pit work,” says Morrie. “Yes,” adds Julian, “I think the fact that we have designed these clarinets to be useful in a wide variety of performance situations make them as appealing to the professional as they are to the casual player or student. Whether playing the full synthetic (LB320), the synthetic model with the wood barrel (LB310) or the full grenadilla (LB210), our goal was to design a clarinet for each desired sound, performance venue and level of performance”.
From Julian’s perspective, he feels comfortable putting the new Leblanc Bliss clarinet up against anything. “I know I can pick-up any Bliss clarinet and be able to perform at the level to which I am accustomed. I can’t say that about even some of the highest level clarinets from other makers. I know the marketing tag line for these clarinets is The Revolution Is Now but all of us involved with this project truly believe breaking new ground in the clarinet world. I’ll be bringing my personal Bliss with me on the road for encores. I want to make everyone aware of exactly what this clarinet is capable of”.
To learn more about the new Leblanc Bliss clarinets or inquire as to purchasing options, please visit www.leblancclarinets.com.
