Seth Kibel: Clarinet, Without a Net

The late great Phil Woods once observed that the clarinet "was invented by six guys who had never met each other," which is another way of saying it is more than challenging to play. It is a challenge that woodwind virtuoso Seth Kibel accepted years ago and has spent much of his career as an award-winning jazz artist pursuing.

On Clarinet, Without a Net, Kibel plays clarinet on every number, backed on even-numbered tracks by one quintet, on odd-numbered tracks by a disparate group whose size is the same. Two jazz albums for the price of one, right? Not exactly. Liner notes tell us that Kibel's music "lives at the intersection of jazz, Americana, blues and klezmer." No argument there. But aside from a few rhythmic and harmonic touches, there does not seem to be a lot of jazz in the bucket. Americana, yes; blues and klezmer, check. Jazz, less so.

The album's most conspicuous improviser is trombonist Marcel Penzes on the album's five even-numbered tracks. Others in that group are accordionist Simone Baron, mandolinist Tara Linhardt, bassist Eliot Seppa and tablas artist Haroon Alam. Those in the other group are violinist Maximilian Jacobs, cellist Erin Murphy Snedecor, guitarist and mandolinist Ahren Buchheister, tubaist Tom Holtz and Rowan Corbett on percussion and bones (who make their entrance on Kibel's shuffling "You'd Never Believe The Sh*t You're Missing"). The set list is a patchwork of pop, blues, and themes by Carole King, Big Bill Broonzy, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee, plus a half dozen originals by Kibel, none of which registers high on the jazz meter.

There is no questioning Kibel's virtuosity, nor that of his backup crews. But as a rule, all that musianship is in the service of genres other than jazz. No less polished, but the prospective listener should know what lies ahead before pressing on. The program welcomes a bit of almost everything that rests under the wider jazz umbrella. So if that horizon does not rain on your parade, this is an album for you. But do not expect jazz to govern the menu.