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Jazz Articles about Michael Rabinowitz

5
Album Review

Joe Fonda: Joe Fonda & Bass Of Operation

Read "Joe Fonda & Bass Of Operation" reviewed 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 ...

1
Album Review

Joe Fonda: Joe Fonda & Bass Of Operation

Read "Joe Fonda & Bass Of Operation" reviewed 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 ...

30
Album Review

Michael Rabinowitz: Next Chapter

Read "Next Chapter" reviewed 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 ...

1
Album Review

Michael Rabinowitz: Uncharted Waters

Read "Uncharted Waters" reviewed 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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