Cogworks is written in the big band style and incorporates a lesser used jazz instrument… Bassoon!

I have talked to a great deal of bassoonists that always seem interested in jazz but have never had the opportunity to play it. Not to mention there is not a great deal of jazz repertoire for the bassoon out there and only a few jazz bassoon players in the world. So, when writing Cogworks, I wanted to give the bassoonists who are interested in jazz a chance to make music as well.

Cogworks is inspired by classic jazz tunes, such as: “Sing sing sing” (Benny Goodman), “Powerhouse” (Raymond Scott), “It Don’t Mean a Thing” (Duke Ellington), etc. It is not required that players are familiar with jazz style when reading this piece, but an understanding of swing will help in having a good performance.