Carve is an audacious opening gambit from bassoonist extraordinaire, Dana Jessen, a debut album that blurs the lines between composition, interpretation and improvisation. Punctuated by...

Carve is an audacious opening gambit from bassoonist extraordinaire, Dana Jessen, a debut album that blurs the lines between composition, interpretation and improvisation. Punctuated by short acoustic improvisations that foreground the breath and physicality of the instrument, the album presents four new works by American composers Paula Matthusen, Peter V. Swendsen, Sam Pluta, and Kyle Bruckmann. In each, a mix of fixed and reactive electronics create environments for the bassoon to navigate and explore. Sometimes fixed, sometimes open, the structures of the pieces build spaces. Praised for her diverse talents, bassoonist Dana Jessen is highly active as a soloist, chamber musician, improviser and new music specialist. She is the co-founder of the Bay Area reed quintet, Splinter Reeds, and has performed with prominent ensembles including the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Ensemble Dal Niente, Calefax Reed Quintet, Callithumpian Consort, among others.