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This is something you don’t hear every day, a bassoonist playing through bop changes.

All About Jazz says…

Bassoonist Daniel Smith switch hits from classical to swing to hard bop on this rewarding studio set. Other than some choice solos by pianist Martin Bejerano, the quartet stays in the background, providing support to Smith’s amazingly fluid lines, which shine forth through a set of jazz standards. You can just imagine saxophonist Charlie Parker on bassoon during the band’s take on “Scrapple From The Apple.” Here and throughout, Smith’s spiky phrasings are balanced by brisk runs fortified by lots of pop, zip and seemingly effortless control.

All About Jazz also has a free download of Daniel Smith’s “Scrapple From The Apple” but, you do have to register with AAJ to get. Here’s the link. If you don’t want to do the registration routine, go to Amazon and listen to some samples.

Here’s a tip for musicians; if you want to learn phrasing, listen to good musicians that play breathing instruments, any type of horn, woodwind, reed etc. The trick is the “breathing”. The phrases sound conversational because the player has to arrange what he says around breathing patterns, the same way you do when you speak. Guitar players and keyboard players tend to sound like they are rattling on because they can play continuous streams of notes without pause.

Daniel Smith’s tone on “Scrapple” almost sounds like a warm, slightly overdriven guitar through a tube amp; nice. And, the range of the bassoon is right in the wheelhouse of the sweet spot for guitar soloing. You just don’t hear a lot of bassoon players doing this kind of thing. Smith really plays evolved stuff.

Daniel Smith website.

A bassoon player is driving down the road and meets a frog driving in the other lane; what’s the difference between the two?