Sara Schoenbeck

Sara Schoenbeck is a breed apart: an improvising bassoonist with credits ranging from Anthony Braxton to the Michael Leonhart Orchestra. On this self-titled outing, she’s heard with an illustrious roster of duet partners. The pieces range widely in terms of texture and sonic profile, from the opening abstraction of “O’Saris” with drummer/percussionist Harris Eisenstadt to the darkly tuneful closing number, “Sugar,” with Robin Holcomb on piano and vocal. There are three guests with the last name Mitchell, none related but all well-known in the jazz and improvised-music world. Matt Mitchell’s piano on his original “Augur Strokes” offers an enriched harmonic palette, while Nicole Mitchell (“Sand Dune Trilogy”) and Roscoe Mitchell (“Chordata”) bring contrasting perspectives on flute and soprano sax, respectively. Cellist Peggy Lee and bassist Mark Dresser cover a wide spectrum on bowed low strings, and guitarist Nels Cline achieves just the right mysterious mood on “Lullaby” by indie rockers Low.