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Ned Rothenberg

Ned Rothenberg composes and performs on saxophones, clarinets, flute and shakuhachi (an end blown Japanese bamboo flute). He has been internationally acclaimed for his solo music which he has presented for the past 25 years in hundreds of concerts throughout North and South America, Europe and Japan. He has lead the ensembles Double Band, Power Lines and Sync (his most recent assemblage with Jerome Harris, acoustic guitar & acoustic bass guitar and Samir Chaterjee, tabla) and was a founding member of the cooperative group New Winds (now with Robert Dick, flutes and Herb Robertson, Trumpet). He has worked in other projects with Paul Dresher, Yuji Takahashi, Sainkho Namchylak, Masahiko Sato, Elliott Sharp, Samm Bennett, John Zorn, Katsuya Yokoyama, Evan Parker and Marc Ribot. He's lived and worked in New York City since 1978.

Rothenberg's musical interests are numerous and his work varies widely in its sonic, emotive and stylistic profiles. A strong underlying element of his instrumental voice is the extension of the woodwind language to incorporate polyphony and accurate microtonal organization through the manipulation of multiphonics, circular breathing, and overtone control, not only using his horns in their standard melodic role but also as rhythmic and harmonic engines in both solo and ensemble contexts. As a composer he can move from "Jazz-funk in cubist perspective, dizzying, yet visceral" (J. Pareles, NY Times re Double Band) to a solo music that is "intense, slightly melancholic, rhapsodic without being sentimental (E. Rothstein, NY times), while avoiding the use of mere effect- "crafting distinct, evocative compositions that boast shape as well as texture" N. Tesser, (Chicago Reader).

Rothenberg's frequent international travels have included a 6-month residency in Japan during which he performed his music and studied shakuhachi with two of the foremost masters of the instrument, Goro Yamaguchi and Katsuya Yokoyama. In the summer of '89 he toured the (then) Soviet Union with Tom Cora (cello), Peter Hollinger (drums) and Elliott Sharp (guitars). In October '92 he returned to Russia and the Baltics in duo with the Tuvan vocalist Sainkho Namchylak. In January 2002 he travelled to South Korea for the first time to work with saxophonist Kang Tae Hwan and percussionist Park Ji-Chun. These are just a few examples: international touring continues each year playing festivals, theatres and clubs as a leader or collaborator.

Rothenberg has recently formed ANIMUL RECORDS, its initial release was INTERVALS, A 2 cd set of solo music for alto saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet and shakuhachi. This was followed by the debut cd of R.U.B. with Percussionist/DJ/ Samm Bennett and guitarist Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Its entitled, strangely enough, Are You Be. Next came Sync's 2nd cd, Harbinger. ANIMUL's most recent release is The Fell Clutch, a jam band for big-eared listeners with Tony Buck, drums, Stomu Takeishi, fretless bass, Rothenberg and sometime special guest, Dave Tronzo, on electric slide guitar.

Sync! Ned Rothenberg, Samir Chatterjee, Jerome Harris

by Ludovico Granvassu
December 8, 2019

After more than two decades of activity Ned Rothenberg's Sync remains a reference band in its capacity to seamlessly integrate musical traditions and influences from various parts of the world in a unique line-up featuring the leader on reeds and shakuhachi, Samir Chatterjee on tabla and Jerome Harris on guitar and bass guitar. Happy listening! Ned Rothenberg's Sync “Dad Can Dig" Port of Entry (Intuition) 0:00 Ned Rothenberg's Sync “One-Oh-Nine" Harbinger (Animul) 6:26 Ned Rothenberg's ...

Live Review

Ned Rothenberg all'Atelier Culturale di Brescia

by Giuseppe Segala
November 19, 2019

Ned Rothenberg Secret Concert Atelier Culturale Brescia 15.11.2019 I geografi del '500 tracciavano sulle carte il frutto delle loro esplorazioni, con tratto preciso e ricchezza di dettagli iconici, evocando il carattere di terre, popolazioni, animali, piante. Facendo diventare il loro lavoro fonte di conoscenza, ma pure di narrazione stimolante per chi lo percorreva con occhio curioso e sorpreso. Il solo di Ned Rothenberg, meticoloso e dettagliato nella formidabile produzione di ...

Album Review

Ned Rothenberg, Hamid Drake: Full Circle – Live in Lodz

Read "Full Circle – Live in Lodz" reviewed by Giuseppe Segala

by Giuseppe Segala
November 13, 2017

Full Circle--Live in Lodz è parte di un notevole, ghiotto catalogo di documenti registrati dal vivo in Polonia dall'etichetta Fundacja Sluchaj, in cui figura un ampio ventaglio di musicisti che alloggiano nell'empireo del jazz improvvisato contemporaneo. Nel caso di questo CD siamo di fronte all'accoppiata formidabile di Ned Rothenberg e Hamid Drake. Quello che si può immaginare sulla carta di fronte a tale abbinamento è ampiamente mantenuto e superato nel disco. Fin dall'esordio del CD, affidato alla ...

My Favourite Things

Ned Rothenberg

by Paolo Peviani
March 22, 2017

All About Jazz Italia: Il tratto principale della mia musica. Ned Rothenberg: L'intimità. AAJ: La qualità che desidero nei musicisti che suonano con me. NR: Che abbiano una voce personale. AAJ: Come musicista, il momento in cui sono stato più felice. NR: È molto difficile sceglierne uno, ce ne sono così tanti e per tante ragioni diverse, e dato che suono da quarant'anni ciascuno è legato a fasi ...

Album Review

Ned Rothenberg, Mark Feldman, Sylvie Courvoisier: In Cahoots

Read "In Cahoots" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro

by Alberto Bazzurro
March 22, 2017

Inciso in studio a Brooklyn nel giugno 2014, questo ragguardevole album fa registrare di fatto l'inserimento di Ned Rothenberg e dei suoi fiati nel rodatissimo duo (anche nel privato, visto che i due sono marito e moglie) formato da Mark Feldman e Sylvie Courvoisier. I risultati, come accennato, sono del tutto degni di nota. Si decolla col puntillistico, nervoso “Light and Variable Sins," in cui Rothenberg imbraccia il sax alto, passando al clarinetto basso in “Epic Proportions," ...

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Album Review

Ned Rothenberg / Catherine Jauniaux / Barre Phillips: While You Were Out

Read "While You Were Out" reviewed by Nic Jones

by Nic Jones
February 17, 2010

One of the most consistently intriguing things about freely improvised music is the degree to which it can transcend the moment. While on the surface of it that moment might be something the free improviser has only to reach an accommodation with, on a deeper level such practitioners are arguably more subject to its vagaries than musicians who work in more deliberate and preconceived areas.

This is an indirect way of getting around to the fact that While You Were ...

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Album Review

Ned Rothenberg / Catherine Jauniaux / Barre Phillips: While You Were Out

Read "While You Were Out" reviewed by Kurt Gottschalk

by Kurt Gottschalk
January 11, 2010

Belgian vocalist Catherine Jauniaux is one the most underappreciated of a generation of free improv vocalists. Less a storyteller than Shelley Hirsch, more overtly musical than Phil Minton or Jaap Blonk, she falls somewhere between their spontaneous explorations and the avant art songs of Joan La Barbara. She has released only a handful of records with bands still loved by the few who recall (The Hat Shoes, Aksak Maboul and Vibraslaps, her duo with Ikue Mori) and is, perhaps, best ...

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Performance / Tour

Firehouse 12 to Present Ned Rothenberg's Sync on October 3rd

Source: Improvised Communications
September 30, 2008

Firehouse 12's 2008 Fall Jazz Series continues on Friday, October 3rd with a two set performance by multi-instrumentalist Ned Rothenberg's longstanding trio, Sync. The worldly group has been active for the past decade, performing a distinctive brand of improvised acoustic music defined by the combination of Rothenberg's original compositions and the group's unusual instrumentation, which each integrate a variety of musical traditions. Sync features Rothenberg on clarinets, alto saxophone and shakuhachi (a Japanese bamboo flute), Jerome Harris on acoustic guitar ...
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Book / Magazine

Photonality Jazz Series Publishes 17th Book Procession with Shoko Nagai, Satoshi Takeishi, Jennifer Choi, John Lindberg and Ned Rothenberg from Shoko's Ephemeral Project.

Source: All About Jazz
May 12, 2008

Performance / Tour

Ned Rothenberg's Sync with Strings Performing at New Art Center Newton Massachusetts Feb 11

Source: All About Jazz
February 8, 2007

Ned Rothenberg (saxophone clarinet flute and shakuhachi) with special guests Mark Feldman(violin) and Erik Friedlander (cello) will be joined by fellow in sync members Jerome Harris ( acoustic bass guitar, acoustic steel guitar, lap steel) and Samir Chatterjee (tabla) to perform at the New Art Center in Newtonville MA Sunday February 11th 2007 at 7:00PM. A reception with the performers will follow.

Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door Concert and reception $35 MC ...
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Event

Ned Rothenberg and Friends Featured March 5 at BRIC's"Possible Fireworks"

Source: All About Jazz
February 27, 2004

A double bill: Ned Rothenberg (woodwinds and shakuhachi--a Japanese bamboo flute-- with Matt Maneri (violin/viola) & Tom Abbs (bass)AND Peter Apfelbaum (sax, piano and percussion) & vocalist Dean Bowman, will be featured at BRIC (Brooklyn Information and Culture) Studio's “Possible Fireworks" jam session on Friday, March 5 - 8pm (Adm: $10 / Students: $8). Call (718) 855-7882, ext. 53, or buy online at www.briconline.org. At “Possible Fireworks," audiences get to see sparks fly when a renowned musician takes the stage ...
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Performance / Tour

Samm Bennett's Return To New York With Marc Ribot And Ned Rothenberg

Source: All About Jazz

A live performance at LOCATION ONE Friday, February 7, 2003 8 PM Admission: $15, Members Free No Reservations (Doors open at 7pm) Location One is located at 26 Greene Street NYC 10013, between Grand and Canal Streets. Subway: Canal Street (N, R, 6, A, C, E, J, M, Z) (212) 334-3347 www.location1.org

A mainstay of the “downtown" creative music scene in the '80s and early '90s, Samm Bennett ...
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