Ned Rothenberg

The zenith of this art of demonic solos was perhaps reached on Trespass (Lumina, 1986), that includes six solos and one sax duet. The geometric scales of Strata (bass clarinet), the calm aquatic drones of Trespass (alto sax), the reverbs and bird calls of Filigree (alto sax), and, mainly, the minimalist repetition of Caeneus (alto sax) create a humane and naturalistic mood. As a counterbalance, the three-part suite Kakeai engages John Zorn's squealing saxophone for a heated dialogue of a more abstract nature.

Solo Works (Tzadik, 2006) collects Trials Of The Argo, Continuo After The Inuit, Portal, Polysemy , etc.

He worked with Elliot Sharp's Semantics contributing compositions that are brutally tribal like Terra Firma, Big Business (on their first album) and Revolver (on Bone Of Contention), cacophonous gags like Direct Dial Dirge and Midst Of Other Solitaires, which sound like night-club melodies (on their first album), as well as alienated fanfares like Trumped Up Charges (on Bone Of Contention). When playing in New Winds, a trio of "multi-reedists" (Robert Dick, J.D. Parran) he indulged instead in harsher timbres and counterpoints.

Opposites Attract (december 1990 - New World, 1991) was a collaboration with Paul Dresher (guitar, sampler, electronics), bassists Anthony Jackson and Mark Dresser, drummers Bobby Previte, Gene Reffkin and Samm Bennett. Hanrahan played shakuhachi, bass clarinet, alto and tenor. The result is surprisingly close to Fripp's, Eno's and Byrne's futuristic world-music (Untold Story).

The New Winds were a trio of "multi-reedists" (Robert Dick on flute and piccolo, J.D. Parran mainly on clarinets, Rothenberg mainly on alto) developing complex and ambitious harmonies: The Cliff and Seeing The Double on The Cliff (september 1986 - Sound Aspects, 1989); Traction, 3-2-1, Propriocentricity and Hat And Beard on Traction (january 1991 - Sound Aspects, 1991); and Dovetail (march 1994), The Rising And The Swell (june 1994) and Angst In The Rangst (march 1994) on Digging it Harder From Afar (june 1994 - Victo, 1994), which collects material recorded between 1989 and 1994. On Potion (july 1997 - Victo, 1997) New Winds were Robert Dick, Herb Robertson, Ned Rothenberg.

He then formed the Double Band (Rothenberg and Thomas Chapin on alto, Jerome Harris and Kermit Driscoll on bass, Billy Martin and Adam Rudolph on percussion) which released Overlays (may 1991 - Moers, 1992), containing the lengthy meditations of Polly Molly, Overlays, SuoDolo in Breakneck, Scuffle Shuffle in a limping funky style that sounds influenced by Ormette Coleman's Prime Time and Ronald Shannon Jackson but more rhythmically erudite. Slightly different line-ups recorded Real And Imagined Time (Moers, 1995), containing the title-track, and Parting (may 1996). The Double Band dissolved when Chapin died in 1998.

The Crux (august 1992 - Leo, 1993) collects solo works for alto sax (Intimations, The Crux, Sokaku Reibo), bass clarinet (In The Thick) and shakuhachi (Do Omoi) composed between 1989 and 1992.

Power Lines (august 1995 - New World, 1995) was his crowning achievement, a big-band setting (Mark Feldman on violin, Ruth Siegler on viola and violin, Erik Friedlander on cello, Mark Dresser on bass, Mike Sarin on drums, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Josh Roseman on trombone, Kenny Berger on saxophone and clarinet, Glen Velez on percussion) and a repertory of five lengthy compositions that explores dense, unpredictable structures replete with his favorite rhythmic experiments. Hidalgo alternates Caribbean-tinged percussion, Central-European violin, bebop saxophone, flippant trumpet, Middle-eastern cello, and then an incendiary sax solo leads to dissonant counterpoint before the relaxed finale. Strange Sarabande weaves an intricate of mournful motifs and neoclassical posture. Bellhop Vontz is a reworking of the Double Band's Fits and Starts. Crosshatch is moody and suspenseful, disjointed and chaotic, the most abstract piece, and also the most atmospheric. The 21-minute In The Rotation begins like a circus sketch, trumpet and saxophone take it into mysterious territory, a drum solo almost suffocates it, collective jamming intones a half melody.

Collaborations included: Paramggod (september 1994) with Ton Klami (Kang Tae Hwan on sax, Masahiko Sato on piano, Midori Takada on percussion); Amulet (Leo, 1996), recorded over a three-year period from october 1992 to september 1995, with acrobatic female vocalist Sainkho Namchylak; Monkey Puzzle (Leo, 1997) with saxophonist Evan Parker; Sync (Intuition, 1998), by Port Of Entry (a trio with Jerome Harris and percussionist Samir Chatterjee) performing lengthy and complex Rothenberg compositions (Gamalong, The Hotel Lazard Cafe, Port Of Entry); Tools of Trade (june 2001 - CIMP, 2001) with pianist Denman Maroney.

The chamber jazz compositions of Ghost Stories (april 2000 - Tzadik, 2001), the Duet for Alto Saxophone and Percussion with Japanese percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, Arbor Vitae with shakuhachi player Riley Lee, and Ghost Stories, a quartet with Chinese pipa player Min Xiao-Fen, cellist Erik Friedlander and Takeishi, and the solos of the double-CD Intervals (Animul, 2002), one disc for alto sax and one disc for clarinet or shakuhachi, displayed his extended techniques at the reeds, as they have been progressing over the years, and his sophisticated sense of timbric counterpoint.

R.U.B. was a project with Samm Bennett (electronics and percussion) and Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar, bass, daxophone and effects) that recorded b>Are You Be (february 2002).

En Passant (Creative Works, 2004) documents a woodwind duo with Peter Schmid.

Decisive Action (recorded in 2004)

The Fell Clutch (june 2006) is a collaboration with drummer Tony Buck, bassist Stomu Takeishi and slide guitarist David Tronzo.

Free Zone Appleby (july 2006) is a collaboration with Italian guitarist Paolo Angeli and Evan Parker.

Ned Rothenberg, avantgarde vocalist Catherine Jauniaux and bassist Barre Phillips recorded the live album While You Were Out (november 2008).

World Of Odd Harmonics (august 2010) is an album of solo clarinet improvisations.

Ned Rothenberg and Ken Vandermark formed the all-clarinet sextet Renga Ensemble with Keefe Jackson, Jason Stein, James Falzone and Ben Goldberg. They debuted with The Room Is (april 2013).

In Cahoots (june 2014) documents the trio of Ned Rothenberg (sax, clarinet, shakuhachi), Mark Feldman (violin) and Sylvie Courvoisier (piano).

The live Focus And Field (march 2020) gathered Adam Rudolph on handrumset, Sumie Kaneko on koto, shamisen & voice, Kaoru Watanabe on noh kan, shinobue, taiko & percussion, Stephanie Griffin on viola, Sara Schoenbeck on bassoon, Ned Rothenberg on shakuhachi & bass clarinet, gamin on piri & saenghwang, Ivan Barenboim on b-flat & contra-alto clarinets, and Michel Gentile on flutes.

Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), Ned Rothenberg (on alto sax, clarinets and shakuhachi) and Swiss drummer Julian Sartorius recorded Lockdown (october 2020).