A bassoonist who plays both classical and jazz music, Michael Rabinowitz was born in Connecticut, studied at SUNY at Purchase, and now makes his home in New Jersey. The bassoon, especially as a solo instrument, is not all that common in the jazz genre although Charles Mingus certainly used it as part of his diverse instrumentations for big band. In one of my favorite Miles Davis sessions, Sketches of Spain added in some bassoon as the result of his collaboration with creative mastermind composer-arranger Gil Evans. Sun Ra also capitalized on the diversity possible with big band instrumentation that extended the range of tone colors. He used saxophonists who played unusual jazz instruments like piccolo, oboe, bass clarinet and bassoon. As part of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, I believe that Joseph Jarman occasionally played bassoon. And that group was no doubt influenced by Ornette Coleman who scored some of his pieces (like “Forms and Sounds”) for instruments like flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon.   

Michael Rabinowitz uses his bassoon in the context of a jazz quartet. He heads up a band called "Bassoon in the Wild" that appears at clubs, festivals and other venues. In 2017, he released Uncharted Waters with bassoon, guitar, bass and drums. His seventh album as leader, Next Chapter was named in reference to his being able to focus more time and energy pursuing his passion as an improvising bassoonist and composer. Working with pianist Matt King (who penned “MRab” and “Twelve Note Samba”), the bassoonist composed several pieces for shows and this recording. They enlisted Andy McKee (bass) and Tommy Campbell (drums) to capture their joy and musical magic for our listening enjoyment. 

Profoundly earthy and organic, Next Chapter is an adventurous jazzy journey with intricate passages that flow with distinctive mood changes and some unpredictability.  Rabinowitz opens the album with a wistful “Lydian Dream,” presumably built on an almost-major scale but with a raised fourth. The tune’s genesis evolves into an unusually expressive experience. “Minor Blues Experiment” has a brawny, bassy, bassoon-charged groove that is helping the track get radio airplay.  The title track offers some soulful and stirring playing by Rabinowitz in an arrangement that reflects his prolific imagination and high degree of workmanship.

I especially enjoyed hearing King’s “Twelve Note Samba,” a facetious creation based on the more familiar and conventional “One Note Samba” from Antonio Jobim. Tints of King’s melodica that color a few of the tracks also make for some interesting improvisational interludes.  Adapting the chord changes of Johnny Mandel’s 1964 composition “Emily,” the quartet artfully presents a fresh, plucky melody and cheerful vibe called “Emily Alt Line.” Rabinowitz’s “One Four All” starts out with a snappy exploration of the bassoon’s sax-like possibilities before evolving into a spirited ensemble romp. The album closes with a slyly soulful and rambunctiously wild “Tuesday Blues.” (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)