Bass clarinet and a bass clarinet solo by Omer Simeon can be heard in the 1926 recording "Someday Sweetheart" by Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers. Additionally, Benny Goodman recorded with the instrument a few times early in his career. Harry Carney, Duke Ellington's baritone saxophonist for 47 years, played bass clarinet in some of Ellington's arrangements, first recording with it on "Saddest Tale" in 1934. He was featured soloist on many Ellington recordings, including 27 titles on bass clarinet. The first jazz album on which the leader solely played bass clarinet was "Great Ideas of Western Mann" (1957) by
Monty Budwig Budwig played with pianist Vince Guaraldi in the 1960s, including on the album "Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus". Budwig was part of Benny Goodman's band for performances in New York, and a tour of Japan in 1964. He also began his career as a studio musician in the 1960s, which encompassed film and television shows, with Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, and Judy Garland. Budwig toured Australia with Goodman in 1973. He made another international tour in 1974, this time to South America with Carmen McRae. His one recording as a leader was "Dig", for Concord Records. He died at home