If John Zorn plays off two traditions on Het, then the Montréal clarinetist Robert Marcel Lepage takes on a dozell or so with Les clarinettes ont-telles un escalier de secours?. (En anglais: Do clarinets have a ladder of escape?) It’s quite brilliant in a whimsical sort of way. But the humour here, both in the music and in tho wonderful cartoons that Lepage has drawn for his insert notes, belies the gentle desperation of his larger plaint: Whal does one do with this curious instrument in ]998? Lepage reviews the possibilities, applying his clarinet(s) to familiar rock, R & B and classical settings as well as a variety of ethnic song and dance forms. Some of the titles of his tunes tell the story: Mustang Dimitri, Zorbanlieu, Tintin au Rajasthan and Sahararinette. Wisely, he does not belabour these odd notions; the 22 tracks, some less than a minute in length, draw to a close well before their cleverness turns against them. And quite apart from the issues that they raise about the clarinet, they put Lepage himself on very impressive display. Among Canadian clarinetists, Vancouver’s François Houle gets all the press these days, but Lepage is equally worthy of notice. Indeed, he goes Houle one better this time, demonstrating how well the clarinet can be played with tongue planted firmly in cheek.