Eddie Daniels was an extremely talented clarinetist on all fronts. He not only excelled in classical music with breathtaking virtuosity, but was equally as gifted in the art of jazz. In his jazz music, critic Leonard Feather said, “It is a rare event in jazz where one man can all but reinvent an instrument bringing it to a new stage of revolution.” However, his fame and talent did not stop there. A critic of classical music, Leonard Bernstein, further praised him by saying, “Eddie Daniels combines elegance and virtuosity in a way that makes me remember Arthur Rubenstein. He is a thoroughly well-bred demon.”

Eddie Daniels first began to play the clarinet at age thirteen. He pursued this instrument throughout his school career. This persistence and natural talent eventually got him into Juilliard. From this school, Daniels received his masters in clarinet. Although he would pick up the clarinet again, Daniels was not originally seen in music with …show more content…
He was a part of the Thad Jones- Mel Lewis orchestra, however he was not seen playing his famous clarinet. Daniels was one of the first musicians called when Thad and Mel began their search for talent. Their band was scheduled to perform on Monday nights at the Village Vanguard in New York. These regular performances began in 1966. Daniels joined the band on the tenor saxophone and his talent was immediately recognized by the audience. Later the same year, Daniels sank four-hundred dollars into a round-trip flight to Vienna. He traveled halfway across the world to enter The International Competition for Modern Jazz which was organized by pianist Fredrich Gulda and sponsored by the city of Vienna. Eddie blew the crowd away with his flawless performance on the tenor saxophone and won first place. Over the next several years, he continued with the Thad Jones- Mel Lewis orchestra where he extensively toured Europe allowing him to continue his rise to