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About Michael Rabinowitz
Michael Rabinowitz Jazz Quartet South: Reunion
by Jack Bowers
Although the words “jazz" and “bassoon" rarely appear in the same sentence, that is something North Carolina-based jazz bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz would like to help change. Yes, Rabinowitz is a jazz musician, and the bassoon is his instrument of choice, which must have led to some interesting conversations: “Hey, would you like to join my jazz quartet?" “I might. What instrument do you play?" “I play the bassoon." “The bassoon? Like in ...
Continue ReadingJoe Fonda: Joe Fonda & Bass Of Operation
by Jerome Wilson
The bassoon is rarely heard in a jazz context, but bassist Joe Fonda got the idea to use the instrument in a free-swinging small group format. He incorporated Michael Rabinowitz, one of the few improvising bassoonists around, into a quartet with two of his long-time collaborators, drummer Harvey Sorgen and reed player Jeff Lederer. Fonda's original idea was for Lederer to play tenor saxophone in the group, but Lederer decided instead to play higher-pitched reeds, clarinet, flute, and piccolo. The ...
Continue ReadingJoe Fonda: Joe Fonda & Bass Of Operation
by Mike Jurkovic
Only bassist /composer Joe Fonda--who cut his teeth and honed his humor in the company and camaraderie of such global visionaries as Wadada Leo Smith, Anthony Braxton, Barry Altschul, Paul Bley, and Annette Peacock-- can stand defiantly at the epicenter of a free jazz and classical quartet and ease the ensemble through either door with the deceptively sly and boozy opener “Deja Vu for DC." It whirls. It twirls. It is a whole lot of fun and a particularly ...
Continue ReadingMichael Rabinowitz: Next Chapter
by Jack Bowers
The title “world's best jazz bassoonist" is akin to “world's best tap dancer on hot coals," meaning there simply is not much competition for the honor. Even if there were, however, Michael Rabinowitz would no doubt outdistance any challengers and handily earn the blue ribbon for bassoon excellence. One reason is that, unlike others who have dabbled with the instrument, Rabinowitz is a full-time bassoonist who has spent years honing his craft, and a jazz musician who can improvise with ...
Continue ReadingMichael Rabinowitz: Uncharted Waters
by Roger Farbey
Like the harp, oboe and tuba, bassoon in jazz is not a common instrument but all have been occasionally successfully employed as lead soloing instruments. Amongst a handful of others, Illinois Jacquet and Lindsay Cooper both played bassoon in a jazz context. Cooper, who died of MS in 2013, was depicted playing the bassoon in John Fordham's excellent 1993 Dorling Kindersley primer Jazz . On the instrument, Fordham states: “The bassoon's sound was described by writer Sacheverell Sitwell as 'like ...
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