Sunday Music Muse Day - Bill Evans & Jim Hall, Benny Green & Russell Malone

Welcome to another Sunday Music Muse Day.  This week's theme is jazz piano-guitar duos. First up is a classic date by two jazz legends on their respective instruments, Bill Evans & Jim Hall Undercurrent, recorded in 1962.  Undercurrent was followed up with a second duet album, Intermodulation in 1966.  A quote from a editorial review notes: "Duet albums were rare in 1962 and encounters of this quality are still rare. Bill Evans and Jim Hall, two modern jazz giants, were in peak creative form at the time, Evans leading his own trio and Hall working with Sonny Rollins's quartet at the time."  One listen is all it takes to totally agree. Of the added alternate takes on the CD, I actually prefer the alternate of My Happy Valentine to the one on the original LP release.

The second duet is Benny Green & Russell Malone Birdbird record in 2004, that makes it a 52 year difference from the Evans/Hall date, the beauty of jazz is the continuity of the tradition.  Their set is not as introspective as the Evans/Hall duet, as a Jazztimes review noted, "Pianist Benny Green and guitarist Russell Malone are contemporary jazz musicians in the best sense of the term; great musicians whose repertoire includes blues, soul, pop, bop, Afro-Latin and even hip-hop." So, this CD is a much more lively affair, and a good contrast to this Evan/Hall duet.

Both selections are good to enjoy on this cold, almost spring afternoon.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Stan Getz, Rusell Malone, again.

This week's Sunday Music Muse Day turns out to be a follow up, or extension, to two selections from last week.  Stan Getz Moments in Time is the companion CD to the Getz / Gilberto '76 released by Resonance Records. Moments is the live set of the Getz quartet without Joao Gilberto.  Together the two CDs comprise the complete historic live set at the famous iconic San Francisco jazz club,  Keystone Korner, in 1976.

The other selection is two CDs of guitarist Russell Malone Live at the Jazz Standard Volume 1 & 2.  These are nice sets recorded at the NYC club with a quartet with Jonathan Blake on drums, Martin Bejerano on piano, Tassili Bond on bass, and Malone on guitar. Seeing the CDs together I couldn't pass up getting both.  Jann Nyffeler, Jazz 90.1 DJ,said she was glad I kept the set intact.  Thanks, Jann.

 To add the today's Music Muse, I went to see the  Miles Ahead movie.  I enjoyed it.  I'm sorry I miss a special event co-hosted by Derrick Lucas at the Little Theater, for International Jazz Day, yesterday.  I'm sure I'll catch up with Derrick at one the upcoming jazz event to spring and summer.