Clarinetist Abe Most (b. 1920), who started playing the clarinet at the age of 9. By the time he was 13, he was playing professionally in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, and at 19 he started his own quartet. He had the ability to play or read anything, which catapulted him into the lead chair with the best of the best, Les Brown, Tommy Dorsey, Bill May, David Rose, Billy Vaughn, Frank DeVol, Glen Gray, Bob Crosby and John Williams. Most played throughout the Williams' score for the movie, “1941,” with the outstanding Louie Bellson on drums.
Was in the film studios for more than 44 years, including 22 with 20th Century Fox as the premier soloist. He soloed on Disney’s “The Lion King” and has been under the baton of Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, and Fred Karlin. He played the title themes for television shows, including “The Commish,” “Northern Exposure” and “The Simpsons.” He’s the clarinet in “The Swing Kids” and on Barry Manilow’s “1940’s” album. He contributed to the 1970 Capitol Records Time/Life Series, “The Swing Era,” recreating the original performances of well-known clarinetists Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Irving Fazola, and Jimmy Dorsey. In 1992, Most served as the grand emperor of jazz at the world-renowned Traditional Jazz Festival in Sacramento, where he has been a performer and teacher.