Michael Rabinowitz: Next Chapter

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 the best of them.

The bassoon, a double-reed instrument, has a unique sound all its own (at times resembling a bass clarinet or bass saxophone in the lower register), and Rabinowitz takes full advantage of its lower and upper ranges, even teaming with pianist Matt King's melodica to emulate the sound of an accordion, as he does on the rhythmical "MRab," the first of King's two original compositions (Rabinowitz wrote the album's other half-dozen themes). Having paid tribute to the leader with "MRab," King also composed the playful "Twelve Note Samba" as an homage to Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba."

Rabinowitz and his teammates—King, bassist Andy McKee, drummer Tommy Campbell—quickly serve notice that this is serious jazz, not a novelty act, on the curtain-raising "Lydian Dream," whose balladic intro leads to a groove-centered motif on which Rabinowitz, King and McKee lay bare their impressive solo chops. "Minor Blues Experiment" traverses various chord and tempo changes, while "Next Chapter" amplifies the elegance of a jazz ballad. The album closes with three more compositions by Rabinowitz: "Emily Alt Line" (inspired by Johnny Mandel's "Emily"), "One Four All" (based on the jazz standard "Four") and the irrepressible "Tuesday Blues."

Every one of them is a winner, as is the Next Chapter from start to finish. High marks for everyone, and even higher owing to the superb artistry of that rarest of birds, an astute and masterful jazz bassoonist.