Continuing in the Jazz and Dixieland theme from the last post, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel really capitalizes on this characteristic. The song begins as more of a schmaltzy piano ballad, but about two minutes into the piece, things begin to change pace. The tempo picks up, the piano line becomes more charged, and as soon as the clarinet enters it’s a real party! During this section, the lyrics make specific mention of New Orleans, and the Dixieland themed clarinet solo only helps to materialize this idea. The clarinetist uses many sweeping glissandos, and excessive vibrato very distinct to this regional form of jazz music to exemplify the sound.
