Track Listing

1. Lady Luck
2. Charlie Chan
3. Lullaby
4. Little Rascal On A Rock
5. Budo
6. Soultrane
7. Kids Are Pretty People
8. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'
9. Oh! Look At Me Now
10. Four In One
11. Lazy Afternoon

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24088 in Music
• Released on: 2007-05-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Amazon.com
As good as tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano's recent quartet albums featuring piano master Hank Jones were, they didn't prepare us for the sublimity of this two-man encounter. Duets Live has it all: brilliant and spirited individual playing, exceptional rapport, a terrific mix of songs and a luminous awareness of jazz in all its varied forms. What makes Lovano and Jones so compatible, even though they are separated by more than three decades, is the ease with which they each straddle and move back and forth across the line beween modern and pre-modern (in this, Lovano recalls Coleman Hawkins, one of the giants Jones backed). Much of the material is steeped in classic bop, but Jones points the way back to an earlier golden era with his lambent sparkle and Lovano comes at songs like "Charlie Chan" (his salute to Charlie Parker), Thelonious Monk's "Four in One," and Tadd Damerson's "Soultrane" from consistently fresh angles even as he applies his classic husky sound. Still a force at 88, Jones elegantly frees three of his late brother Thad's tunes from their big band trappings and in the solo spotlight pulls out stops on the standard, "Oh! Look at me Now!" It's a performance of gusty expression and poetic delicacy, slyness and warmth, and endless smiles. Is it too much to ask for a volume two? --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews

If you haven't picked this up already
Do so now!

I, probably like anyone reading this review, waited a long time before picking up a copy of this for myself. I had heard good things about it, but was unsure if it was worth a buy. Duets can be phenomenal, but can also fall flat very easily. I am here now to say that I should not have waited so long, and neither should you.

Both Lovano and Jones are in excellent form here. This duet gives both of them just enough freedom to express themselves and lets them highlight what they are best at. Lovano has played with Jones a number of times before and their communication on stage was obviously excellent. Jones has continued to become even more subtler and talent as time goes on. He switches from really swinging licks into more wry, dryly expressed passages with ease while always betraying a superb musical sense. It is not always easy to improvise without any backing from another musician (whether it be drums or bass or whatnot) but Jones shows that he is up to the task and then some. Not once will a listener feel that he has in anyway lost track of the melody or the overall arch of the song, his solos are so well crafted: truly musical gems.

In turn Jones sets a perfect stage for Lovano. Lovano's has a big, rich, dark sound that is just perfect for this sort of duet and he works with Jones excellently during his solos. They work very well together, not much more can be said. If you are on the fence about this album, take it from me that you have no reason to be. It is more than worth a listen.

Just Playing
My first impression was too much saxophone, not enough piano. Lovano's solos are much lengthier than Jones'. After listening 3 - 4 times, I was able to better appreciate the balance between the two.

One can feel how the musicians enjoyed this set, they really had a great time. They are enjoying the moment, no pressure, just playing.

Four in One captures Monk's magic and together with Little Rascal on a Rock are the best on this CD.

What the Doc Ordered.
If music heals, this is one of those times. Dad loved this CD and I did too.