EVERY ALBUM IS as unique as a human being. And, just as some people clearly distinguish themselves, so do some albums. Wistful offers such a distinguishing musical experience. Some of its nineteen original tunes are destined to become standards. And nobody but clarinetist Russ Reinberg, their composer and arranger, could have performed them with as much beauty, expression, and passion.
But why an album of originals?
“Eventually you get to a point,” says Russ, “where you realize you have been performing the same tunes as every other musician. You realize that, no matter how well you play them, you’re still going to be the ninety-seventh person to record, for example, Moonglow or Yardbird Suite or Unforgettable. And you realize a musician usually must introduce a tune to define it and, once he does, every other version seems like a tribute. Especially since I play what a lot of people today think of as an obsolete instrument, I just wanted to do something new.
“Thousands of people have written original tunes. Most are forgettable. Maybe mine will be, too. But if you listen to them a couple of times, you’ll probably remember a few and you might find yourself humming them in the car or in the shower because they are melodic. That’s something missing from a lot of today’s music and especially from jazz.
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