This exhaustive series of recordings (8 volumes in all) dedicated to the clarinet and saxophone repertoire should appeal to anyone and everyone, from those who simply enjoy the sound of single reed instruments, to seasoned performers. The wide-ranging list of composers it covers includes Weber, Brahms, Husa, Schumann, Creston, Debussy, Corigliano, Koch, Stravinsky, Poulenc, Hindemith, Krenek, Bernstein, etc ... and even includes original compositions from Ronald L. Caravan himself (46 composers in all). Born in 1946, Caravan is an American clarinetist, saxophonist, arranger, composer and teacher who has published books of studies and exercises for these instruments. He is also well-known for his own line of finely hand-crafted mouthpieces based on the original design by Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone.

Caravan's playing is always pleasantly smooth, expressive and dynamically varied (no squeaks or squeals to be heard anywhere). The piano accompaniment provided by Sar-Shalom Strong, a long-term member of the American Federation of Musicians, is refined throughout and adds the proper dramatic weight to each work which enhances the lead instument's tone and color. Pictured above is Volume 1 in the series and if you click on the provided Amazon link, you can then easily find more info on all the volumes that make up the set.

The audio clip below is a cut from Volume 4.