ENRICO PIERANUNZI & BERT JORIS - Afterglow
Challenge Records Int. CR73460
Enrico Pieranunzi (piano) Bert Joris (trumpet & flugelhorn)
Recorded in Belgium, September 7th& 8th 2018.
Imagine two friends engaged in intimate conversation, at times reflective and nostalgic, at others probing, interrogative but never confrontational or hostile. Translate this into musical form and you have an instrumental dialogue of the type conducted here where every phrase and progression must be articulated with clarity and purpose and even the rests and silences are loaded with meaning. In a programme of original duets two big beasts of the European jazz scene explore this format in an intuitive and largely relaxed manner though not wholly committed to creating the cocktail hour ambience that the title given to the session suggests.
Within the pianist’s vast discography there are numerous examples of him having done this type of thing before, particularly in his work with Chet Baker from whom he claims to have learnt much in the way of lyrical expression. As a performer his technique is as immaculate as his talent is prodigious and I can’t imagine him ever having any difficulty in translating his ideas into musical form. Of Bert Joris I am less familiar but he seems to have spent a large part of his career working in big band or ensemble contexts which may account the more robust and assertive tone that we might expect in a chamber jazz setting. Nevertheless the pairing works well and the conversation never flags by becoming becalmed in light music jejuneness for although the prevailing mood is cast in a contemplative glow there is plenty of bright and chirpy quirkiness of a Monkish variety to set alongside the legato longing. All in all, a very accomplished and satisfying musical engagement.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Challenge Records Int. CR73460
Enrico Pieranunzi (piano) Bert Joris (trumpet & flugelhorn)
Recorded in Belgium, September 7th& 8th 2018.
Imagine two friends engaged in intimate conversation, at times reflective and nostalgic, at others probing, interrogative but never confrontational or hostile. Translate this into musical form and you have an instrumental dialogue of the type conducted here where every phrase and progression must be articulated with clarity and purpose and even the rests and silences are loaded with meaning. In a programme of original duets two big beasts of the European jazz scene explore this format in an intuitive and largely relaxed manner though not wholly committed to creating the cocktail hour ambience that the title given to the session suggests.
Within the pianist’s vast discography there are numerous examples of him having done this type of thing before, particularly in his work with Chet Baker from whom he claims to have learnt much in the way of lyrical expression. As a performer his technique is as immaculate as his talent is prodigious and I can’t imagine him ever having any difficulty in translating his ideas into musical form. Of Bert Joris I am less familiar but he seems to have spent a large part of his career working in big band or ensemble contexts which may account the more robust and assertive tone that we might expect in a chamber jazz setting. Nevertheless the pairing works well and the conversation never flags by becoming becalmed in light music jejuneness for although the prevailing mood is cast in a contemplative glow there is plenty of bright and chirpy quirkiness of a Monkish variety to set alongside the legato longing. All in all, a very accomplished and satisfying musical engagement.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
