Bloom Explores The Far Reaches Of Sound With Her Sax  Posted:
February 05, 1999  For soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, who
has written music for NASA and has had an asteroid named for
her, sound is the most important thing.  Since she is performing
Saturday night at Mount Airy's Sedgwick Cultural Center with
bassist Rufus Reid, there will be much space for sonic
exploration. Reid, with whom Bloom has worked in one capacity or
another since the early '80s, has ``the most beautiful bass
sound on the face of the planet,'' she said.  For the past seven
years, Reid has collaborated with drummer Akira Tana, and both
have also worked with Philadelphia pianist Sumi Tonooka. A
composer as well as bassist, Reid also is distinguished by his
ability to adapt well to different settings without losing his
sound.  When collaborating with Reid, Bloom said, ``there is no
piano, there are no drums. You can focus on things you do not
often get a chance to focus on in a larger group. There is a
nuance and detail that an improv