Michael Rabinowitz Jazz Quartet South: Reunion

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 a symohony orchestra? You did say this is a jazz quartet..."

"That's right. A jazz quartet."

"With a bassoon. Right. Well, as I'm not doing anything else at the moment, I say let's give it a shot."

"Great! Welcome aboard. Now let's see if we can find two more inquisitive side men..."

As it turns out, Rabinowitz was able to locate and recruit three such teammates, and is accompanied on Reunion, the second recording as leader of his quartet (following 2023's Next Chapter), by pianist Michael Jefry Stevens, bassist Zack Page and drummer Rick Dilling. As has been noted elsewhere, Rabinowitz is not a bassoonist who happens to play jazz but a jazz musician who happens to play bassoon, and there is an explicit difference. Rabinowitz plays jazz, and nothing but jazz, and the fact that he does so on a bassoon is irrelevant so long as jazz remains uppermost in his heart and soul, which it clearly does.

Before proceeding, a word or two about the bassoon, a double-reed instrument with a unique sound all its own (at times resembling a bass clarinet or bass saxophone in the lower register). It has a surprisingly wide range, one that Rabinowitz uses to good advantage whether supervising or soloing, each of which he does from the perspective of a jazz musician. His companions take matters in stride, comping as they would for a trumpet, saxophone, trombone or guitar.

The album's handsome playlist is comprised of half a dozen original compositions—four by Stevens, a pair by Rabinowitz—and the Arthur Schwartz-Howard Dietz standard, "Alone Together" (performed here not as a ballad but a fast-moving flagwaver). Stevens is a splendid writer, as is Rabinowitz, whose bright and charming themes bring to mind the great Gerry Mulligan. Stevens hits the mark with the amiable "Sir Barry" and well-grooved "Covid Blues," while the colorful "For Herbie" and even-tempered "Autumn" are barely a stride or so in the rear-view mirror.

Reunion is a jazz album in every respect, and if the thought of its being played on a bassoon proves disconcerting, simply imagine that it is a baritone sax or bass trumpet and all should be well.