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Joe Fonda: Joe Fonda & Bass Of Operation

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 ...
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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 ...
Continue ReadingJoe Fonda Quartet: Eyes on the Horizon

by Alberto Bazzurro
Quattro super-leader, fra cui anche il nostro Tiziano Tononi, per il quale far parte di questo illustre consesso rappresenta un'autentica medaglia, compongono l'organico protagonista di questo notevole album a nome del bassista (nonché, qui ma non solo qui, anche flautista) Joe Fonda, fresco settantenne, una carriera iniziata nei primi anni Ottanta proprio accanto a Wadada Leo Smith, che gli fa l'onore di tornare al suo fianco, e proseguita soprattutto accanto a Anthony Braxton (ma anche a Satoko Fujii, che qui ...
Continue ReadingJoe Fonda: Eyes On The Horizon

by Mike Jurkovic
As we enter into the season of giving, what better gift can there be than Eyes on the Horizon, bassist/composer Joe Fonda's sonic tribute to his mentor, muse, and like-minded creator, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. As if welcoming one to a grand destination, Smith's clear and majestic timbre, supported by Fonda's pronounced bowing, proclaims Inspiration Opus #1" into consciousness and Eyes on the Horizon sets out on a path all its own. More than just head-solo-head, Fonda employs ...
Continue ReadingJoe Fonda: Eyes On The Horizon

by Mark Corroto
When a musician who is a legend himself, herein bassist Joe Fonda, creates an album of tribute music to his mentor and teacher, it is rare that that person also performs on the recording. Fonda wrote the seven compositions heard here, with five dedicated to the master musician Wadada Leo Smith. On Eyes on The Horizon, Fonda is joined by pianist Satoko Fujii, drummer Tiziano Tononi and Smith himself. During his career, Fonda has been heard with such ...
Continue ReadingJoe Fonda, Jesper Zeuthen, Jose Lencastre & Rodrigo Amado

by Maurice Hogue
Bassist Joe Fonda's new Eyes On The Horizon is a must listen. He turned to musicians he has great familiarity with--pianist Satoko Fujii, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and drummer Tiziano Tononi--to create a tribute to Wadada, his former teacher and mentor. This is uncompromising music. There are several new albums by saxophonists in this edition that should be listened to as well: Danish legend Jesper Zeuthen with fellow Danes percussionist Marilyn Mazur and bassist Anders Christensen, Hugo Costa with William ...
Continue ReadingJoe Fonda: From The Source

by Jerome Wilson
This is a reissue of an album by bassist Joe Fonda which was originally released in 1997. In his liner notes for this edition, Fonda notes that this session had several unique aspects for the time; the musicians included Brenda Bufalino mostly tap dancing, and Vickie Dodd, a healer and bodyworker, contributing wordless vocals. They worked with the four men in the group, Fonda, Anthony Braxton on reeds, Herb Robertson on trumpet and Grisha Alexiev on drums, to create a ...
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