Is this the most deliriously fun bassoon line ever written?

16 September 2016, 12:31 | Updated: 6 January 2017, 14:45

smokey robinson bassoon

Could this be the greatest bassoon line outside of the classical repertoire?

Forget Prokofiev, the most famous bassoon line does not characterise a lumbering grandfather - it’s in one of Smokey Robinson’s greatest songs. Just listen to the chops on this:

Fortunately for anyone wanting to play this peach of a line, a YouTuber has transcribed it:

And Smokey himself doesn’t just love the bassoon, he loves Pagliacci - apparently it was the main inspiration behind the song’s character: