Ned Rothenberg

by Joslyn LayneMulti-reedist Ned Rothenberg composes and performs on saxophones, flutes -- including shakuhachi -- and bass clarinet. Active as a solo artist and avant-garde jazz performer since (at least) the '70s, Rothenberg performed in Anthony Braxton's Creative Orchestra Music ensemble. He moved to N.Y.C. in 1978, and went on to lead Power Lines (New World) and Double Band (on the Moers label). Rothenberg is a founding member of New Winds, with flutist Robert Dick and trumpeter Herb Robertson. He performs in Sync, a group with Jerome Harris, on Intuition and has collaborated with such acclaimed creative musicians as John Zorn, Elliott Sharp, Samm Bennett, and Fred Frith. Rothenberg has spent much time in Japan, including a six-month residency during which he studied with shakuhachi masters Goro Yamaguchi and Katsuya Yokoyama, and performed his own music. He also traveled to the former Soviet Union three times from the late '80s through the mid-'90s, performing not only solo, but in a duo with Sainkho Namchylak. Rothenberg has also toured North and South America, Europe, and Asia, totalling hundreds of concerts worldwide at venues and festivals including Finland's Tampere (1992), Quebec's FIMAV (1997), and Michigan's Edgefest (1998). Rothenberg didn't slow down as the 21st century dawned, releasing several albums, including Ghost Stories and Port of Entry in 2000, Tools of the Trade in 2001, Intervals in 2002, Fell Clutch in 2006, and Inner Diaspora in 2007.