ARTIE IS AT HIS ABSOLUTE BEST AT THIS POINT IN TIME. HIS CREATIVITY LEVEL IS THROUGH THE ROOF. HE CAN PLAY THE SAME SONG 100 TIMES AND PLAY A DIFFERENT SOLO EACH TIME, GENIUS!
I played that record to death when I was younger. He was such a good lookin' guy and just made love to that clarinet when he played it. Too bad he was such a conceited jerk in life and a monster to work for.
Artie lifts his fingers quite high above the the clarinet. Seeing this must be a horror to a classical clarinetist. But I find that it helps keeping the rhythm. When you let your fingers fall down on the holes it feels like drumming. Kenny Davern later did the same thing.
The insouciant young man (seated first row) -- trombonist and clarinetist, apparently -- seen either over or level with Shaw's left shoulder (which is on the right, of course) looks like he's smiling and having to contain a laugh throughout.