This Is Book’s Music

The bassoon is not something one immediately associates with jazz, even though one can dig deep into a jazz discography and find it has been used a number of times. When you have an artist who is billed as “the greatest bassoon player of his generation”, it made me think of two things:
1) I have to check this album out
2) I didn’t know there was a bassoon revolution going on.

With an album that includes Ludwig Alfonso (drums), Larry Campbell (guitar), Edward Perez (bass), and Marin Bejerano (piano), Daniel Smith is ready to take his revolution to new places with Blue Bassoon (Summit). It’s an album that shows the bassoon can be as powerful as a saxophone when in the hands of a capable player, and Smith is someone who is very capable.

What I like about albums like this is that there are certain instruments that immediately scream *JAZZ*, so when one that isn’t is put into the mix, and in this case made to be the focus, you want to hear if it can be utilized. When hearing tracks like B.B. King’s “My Baby’s Gone”, George Shearing’s “Break Out The Blues”, and a very moving take of John Coltrane’s “Equinox”, you tend to hear the song a bit different as being translated by a different instrument. By doing so, you’re hearing the instrument in a way unheard of before, and breaking down associated boundaries is always a good thing. What’s also incredible is the rhythm section of bassist Perez and drummer Alfonso, it’s almost they’re like blood brothers and have been knocking down pots, pans, and washtubs together all their lives. The combination of all of these things show that the bassoon can indeed be blue and bluesy.