Henri Bok
Henri Bok is a bass clarinettist drawn to unusual pairings and extended techniques. With percussionist Miquel Bernat as Duo Contemporain he recorded Andrew Ford’s sprightly, clean-textured Art of Puffing.
Beyond that partnership he has built a map of unlikely duos: bass clarinet with accordion, bass oboe, a second bass clarinet, jazz piano and saxophones. He writes solo and chamber works of his own, and his handbook New Techniques for the Bass Clarinet has become a working reference for players and composers chasing multiphonics and other extended sounds. Later research has gone into the instrument’s microtonal depth, while collaborations across classical and jazz circles have left a trail of pieces written for him.
Henri Bok appears on
Andrew Ford: Whispers
The highlights of this disc are the works written for tenor Gerald English. Its success led to a further project in 1998 gathering all the works Ford had composed for him.
