Reunion Quartet, from left, Rick Dilling, Zack Page, Michael Rabinowitz, Michael Jefry Stevens
A decades-long musical partnership will take center stage at Mars Landing Arts Center on Thursday, July 2, when bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz and pianist-composer Michael Jefry Stevens perform music from their new album, Reunion.
The performance will feature selections from the new recording as well as original compositions by both musicians. Joining Rabinowitz and Stevens will be bassist Zack Page and drummer Rick Dilling. The concert will take place at 7 p.m. in the intimate 80-seat venue at Mars Landing Arts Center in Mars Hill.
Rabinowitz traces his musical connection with Stevens back to a vibrant period in Brooklyn’s jazz scene.
“In the midst of this fertile time myself, Michael J, bassist Joe Fonda, trumpeter David Douglas, violinist Mark Feldman and drummer Harvey Sorgen started a rehearsal band at Michael Jefry Stevens’ apartment in Carroll Gardens,” he says.
That ensemble, known as The Mosaic Sextet, helped establish a creative foundation that continued through recordings and performances before life eventually pulled the musicians in different directions.
“When Michael moved out of NYC and I got busy with my wife raising two daughters, our musical relationship went into hiatus,” says Rabinowitz. “We stayed connected, however, through mutual relationships, and after my daughter moved to Asheville in 2021, I was thrilled to rekindle the magic we had in the Brooklyn days.”
The album’s title reflects more than a simple reunion between old friends. For Rabinowitz, it captures the ease and depth of reconnecting musically after years apart.
“When we played again together after 20 years, we connected immediately and I was reminded how sympathetic Michael is and how deeply he listens,” says Rabinowitz. “All we needed was the right conditions and the spark for spirits to be ignited.”
Known internationally for expanding the role of the bassoon in jazz, Rabinowitz has spent more than five decades demonstrating the instrument’s versatility through performance, composition and education. His work has helped introduce improvisation to a new generation of bassoonists.
Rabinowitz and his wife are preparing for a permanent move to Madison County.
“My wife and I find the Blue Ridge Mountains intoxicating,” he says. “We have also met an incredible group of like-minded artists that continue creating and being inspired by beauty and the rich history of the Blue Ridge Mountains.”
Mars Landing Arts Center is located at 37 Library Street, Mars Hill. Learn more and purchase tickets to the concert at MarsLandingGalleries.com.
