Often saxophonists start off on the clarinet then move onto the saxophone at a later date but I had never played one before. In 2015 whilst working in a saxophone store in London I was intrigued by listening to "Courtney Pine" playing the bass clarinet on one of the screens on his latest album "The Ballad Book". At this time coincidently at my home town in a store called "Wessex music" there was an old bass clarinet for sale for £250 advertised as a Vito, the clarinet needed a huge amount of maintenance (more than I realized at the time) but I bought it on impulse as I wanted to try it out.  For the next few weeks I did try playing it and got a few notes out of it but to little avail, so I put it away thinking it wasn't meant to be. A few months later I tried playing it again but the entire mechanism was broken caused by a bent key. At that time I had more pressing things to focus on, and had limited finances, so from that moment it sat in the attic for over 3 years!  

It was then 3 years later I decided to take the clarinet in to be repaired to sell it as I had no use for it and needed the money. After being originally quoted £700 to get it fixed the very nice technician said he could bodge it into basic selling condition for a much more affordable sum. Unfortunately shortly after this point I had other unavoidable expenses, so it stayed at the repairers for a year. I then finally got the clarinet back and was also informed the the clarinet was actually a very rare old Conn from the 1940's where the original engravings had worn away almost entirely! I thought I'd give it a go before selling it and I was instantly taken by the sound, not only could I suddenly play the whole range but it sounded good too. I then had a sudden change of opinion so I recorded a short clip in a rehearsal studio (see opposite) after playing it just a few times in my room and received a positive response including from my sister who wanted it to go on her newest song .

Two weeks after this clip I played a gig in Salisbury where I played it live for the very first time in a blues band consisting of Tom Thatcher and other local musicians, this went extraordinarily well and knew I just had to keep it. Shortly after this gig it became unplayable due to the condition, so it lay unused again for 5 months.  It was then that Xmas 5 months later I restored it to playable condition (still needing work). Over the next few months I started to simultaneously hone my skills on it and repair it to full working order, which was at times frustrating.

​Six  months later (repairs in-between) in 2020 I then recorded it on Isobel Thatcher's new atmospheric single "Walking down the Tracks". It immediately received incredible reviews, fantastic interest regarding the sound of the horn and airplay from major international radio stations such as "Country Hits" and "Blues & Roots International Radio".

Shortly afterwards I also used it on one of the UK's leading Blues artists  "Katie Bradley's" prominent track "Does your star shine Brighter" to add to the Afro/Caribbean feel of the song on the new album "Soho Heart". This has consequently received sensational feedback, stunning reviews from well known blues magazines, sold many copies and had international interest and play!

Sub-consciously with limited knowledge of the bass clarinet Dom has created a extraordinary clear rich big sound! Also a near five octave chromatic range. 

Dom has since taught himself to play the standard Clarinet in the last year as well as remarkably at the same time teaching his first Clarinet Student; and successfully taking through their Grade 1 Classical exam! As well as playing successfully reviewed gigs!