Jonathan Ragonese  
composer 
saxophonist  
writer (?) 
poet (?) 
words like scholar make one – me –  
feel uncomfortable.  
I began to understand myself  
through poetry 
or what may be called in  
a more ‘post-modern’ 
vein (vain) 
stream of consciousness  

biography is ultimately unknowable  
to the one having lived, and still  
living. Having written a  
250/500/750/1200 word version 
utilizing different techniques 
the present writer – strange way to refer to ‘I-me’ – 
decided that the result had only gotten 
hazier. This would read like most, and I  
Do not wish to point fingers 
Or speak contemptuously of what has 
Become 
Simply 
Joyce’s commodious vicus of recirculation  
The epitome of Ferlinghetti’s me-culture  
A listing of the  
__________________ me __________ 
__________________ me _______________ 
__________________ me _________________ 

So like all composters, spending your time  
And either wasting it, or, if at all possible,  
enriching it, I wish to elucidate the impossibility of 
my understanding of  
the metaphor of  
the stream  

I must utilize 
the ecological insight we have gained 
and know that the body, as part of the world,  
is the world, and the world can be seen as a reflection of the body.  
And so on and so forth.  
Standing in a stream, many things go by:  
nourishing water (continuous) fish tadpoles branches rocks 
But also: urine feces oil dumped upstream PFAs plastic microplastic old cigarettes blood...  
So, everything at once alive in the stream –  
all of life’s problems and celebrations.  
But the metaphor of the stream  
(or is it image?) is  
I am noticing/wondering 
more powerful upon the consideration of what, at the end of the stream.  
Streams flow, as branches between larger vessels to carry the water eventually  
finding their way to lakesbogsriverswhatelse?  
Rivers find their way to basins  
(here my knowledge of basic science is lacking)  
inletsbayssounds. And so,  
the ocean.  
It is essentially the ocean  
of consciousness  
that must be meditated upon. Our ecological awareness that  
all-is-one-and-all-is-connected, is of ultimate importance  
if we wish not to kill the planet that gives us life,  
the ability to wonder.  
And so we understand (or hope that through education,  
all might understand) that the wrong  
thing down the toilet or dumped in the backyard or discarded in the gutter 
will find its way to the wild life of the ocean.  
In essence: it will come back again. 

And God said, let there be interweaving, and  
So 
328 words in noapparentorder, about me 
now  
320 

“elegiac, gravity-defying” (Downbeat Magazine) discovered the joy of music spending afternoons at his next-door neighbors, Uncle Bill and Aunt Kathy, who introduced him to long playing records David Liebman commissioned and premiered non-poem 7 with the Dalí over 200 musical works including: sets of non-poems for chamber musicians, big band and orchestral music, wind quintets, mixed chamber ensembles, silent-film score for big band (Pandora’s Box 2017, commissioned by the New York Film Festival) this experience – prior to YouTube and social media – gave Jonathan his first understanding of musical life in New York and is currently working on a series of 42 lectures on Creativity & Improvisation passionate amateur scholar of James Joyce around the same time he discovered the music of his grandfather – Don Rodney – a composer and guitarist from the big band era arranged twelve works of Leonard Bernstein to celebrate the composer’s 100th birthday at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, A Mosaic of Wonder his wife, Dutch violinist Karen Dekker,  met David Noon Steve Wilson and David Liebman, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, The Museum of Modern Art, Emmet Cohen, The Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra, The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, clarinetist of the Imani Winds, Mark Dover, flute and piano duo The Righteous Girls, and a variety of universities and high schools first engagement with a band: three-hours of sight-reading with a band of seasoned professionals hour-long duo concert, two men singing, with Tim Warfield learned about musical communication and friendship from Ronnie Waters and Jimmy Wood. Steve Rudolph. commissioned by MoMA letters from an unknown woman to an unknown people a double concerto for trumpet, marimba, and orchestra with juvenile boldness he proclaimed he was ‘ready’ to play with him, and another him began his studies at the Manhattan School of Music with Bob Mintzer many volumes worth of unpublished poetry Broadway World said, “the finale was an unforgettable duet.” started Music Before Words has three children more information visit: jonathanragonese.com 

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For Bios in 3 other Formats: Click Here

Bob Curnow Celebration

In November of 2022, the Wells School of Music celebrated the gift of the Bob & Darlene Curnow Jazz Library featuring over 2000 works of Sierra Music Publishing. Bob came and conducted the Criterions, the band he conducted as a student in the early 1960’s. I have had the good fortune to spend time with Bob and work closely with the documents in the new archive. We spent time recording interviews about the experience. The first video is about his visit to the Wells School, and the second video is a special feature produced by JW Pepper. More info on the Library here

Vandoren DANSR Interview

Click here to read the interview about the Concerto for Soprano Saxophone with Vandoren

soprano saxophone concerto premiere!

On October 31st, 2021 I premiered my new work Concerto for Soprano Saxophone & Wind Ensemble with the West Chester University Wind Ensemble. Click here for more info

two men singing (2018)

two men singing a live duo recording with saxophonist Tim Warfield is now available on all digital platforms.

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two men singing was recorded live in August of 2016 in front of a live audience at The Susquehanna Museum of Art in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Tim Warfield joins Jonathan Ragonese for a one hour exploration of improvisation. The two saxophonists, aided by various found-percussion, converse, antagonize, and participate with one another with no pauses or intermission. Ragonese writes in the liner notes: “The saxophone has in one way or another shaped my musical life. From my first infatuation to my growth and development. I was fourteen years old when I met Tim Warfield, and his influence, character, guidance, and friendship have been a pivotal part of my development. We first had the opportunity to perform together – two saxophones alone – in the spring of 2016; I knew immediately that, as a testament of my gratitude, and for the pure joy of the experience, I wanted to do it again and record it. two men singing is a document of that experience: surrounded by a group of loving and supportive individuals.”

“Jonathan Ragonese and Tim Warfield have recorded a fantastic improvised duo project. They have an amazing ability to converse in a highly compositional way, spinning out one fresh idea after the next. I admire these two great saxophonists for having the courage to pursue this type of project.”

— Bob Mintzer

“These two artists are on the same wave length which is something all improvisers hope for. Great listening and strong ideas abound on this recording.”

— Dave Liebman

Mother Goose and Other Tales

In November 2016, I had the incredible opportunity to premiere an old work of mine, Mother Goose along with a new work entitled Uncle Wiggly at Messiah University in Pennsylvania. For further information feel free to contact me.

Xiomara Laugart & String Sextet

In April 2018, I premiered 10 new works for string sextet with Xiomara Laugart, and an amazing ensemble featuring Axel Laugart and Steve Wilson. We recorded the music in May of 2019 - a release is forthcoming!

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Premiere of Pandora's Box

In October of 2017 the film score to the iconic film was premiered at Alice Tully Hall. For more information visit the new page dedicated to the work, with photos by Jonno Rattman.

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Monthly Contributor - "Audio Outtro"

Online magazine, by New York, for New York, featuring artists and their experience. Poems, plays, photography, journalism, music. Links below for each guest and their track: