#zaviot

[bobrosenbaum]

Harold Rubin Quartet, Jaffa, Israel, April 1995.

I've been thinking a lot about Harold since he left us just over a month ago. He was an artist of such integrity, breadth and warmth that his passing is hard to reconcile, even at the age of 87.

It's hard to contain Harold's work. He was an architect, a painter, a poet and a musician, creating an endearing presence in each role. He was also an anarchist of the first degree.

I knew him mainly as a jazz clarinetist, the kind of player who bursts into your consciousness and makes you aware of how much you still haven't heard in this world.

Harold was one of those rare artists who leads us to be creative, disregard the big money, and take chances – his work is all about the truth of the spirit.

In 1995 I shot this series at a time of great personal upheaval. Recently divorced and hurting, I was thirsty for honesty and renewal. An unlikely chain of events brought me to the Yadaiim Gallery in Jaffa, where I drank my fill with the phenomenon that was Harold.

He was leading an energetic, typically unclassifiable performance; something completely outside that swung fiercely, eminating from deeply in-the-pocket. Each of the other musicians – saxophonist Albert Beger, bassist Daphna Sadeh and drummer Avi Agababa – brought their own distinctive voices, yet created a unit that was in complete sync with Harold.

I was instantly swept up by the combination of Harold's brazen attack, his tender clarinet sound, his acrobatic lyricism. I remember that he played like there was no tomorrow. In fact, Harold always played that way.

Harold was not just a truly original performer, he was also a wonderful, generous human being who added great spirit to my life. On each occasion that we met, he always had some wise counsel for me. I'll always cherish the time he looked intently at the group image shot in Jaffa (above) and said, "You've got to do more of this, man!"

Late in his career, Harold was acknowledged with Israel's Landau Prize for his performing career, but it was really just a token nod – not nearly enough for such a dedicated innovator and shape-shifter.

To get an authentic moving picture of Harold, I recommend the 2012 documentary about him Magnificent Failure directed by his wife Miriam's daughter Jasmine Kainy and produced by Noam Shalev.

For a first taste of Harold's music, try Blue But What recorded with his Zaviot Quartet. When you're ready for something more adventurous, try Three on a Thin Line recorded live with bassist Barre Phillips and percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani in 2009. You can also learn more about Harold and his work on the Zaviot web site.

Rest easy Harold, you've created more truth and compassion in this world. You will be missed dearly.

See more images from Harold's 1995 Jaffa performance here.