Duets, Anyone?
It’s been a while since I’ve done a “regular” post. But as you can see, I’ve been very busy doing my two-hour radio show and podcast every week. Listenership at Jazz Collector is way up, but readership is way down. I love doing the radio show and it is really helping me extract more pleasure from and appreciation for my collection. I have no intention of slowing down there. But I would like to do more writing on Jazz Collector now that we are heading into the winter doldrums here in the lovely Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts. One way to do that is to combine my passion for doing the radio show with a renewed commitment to do more writing. So, let’s see how it goes, starting now.
A few weeks ago, on the radio show I was playing tracks from the album John Coltrane Ballads, Impulse 32. I brought the vinyl into the studio, but I wanted to have backup, so I also brought in the Deluxe edition CD set. As I was doing the show, I noticed that the CD set has a previously unreleased duet version of They Say It’s Wonderful, the Irving Berlin song, featuring just a duet by Trane and McCoy Tyner. It’s a wonderful track and amazing that it was sitting in a vault for 40 years. I provided a link to it on YouTube.
Anyway, it gave me an idea to do a whole show on duets, starting with that track. The next one I thought of was Sonny Rollins and Philly Joe Jones, Surrey With the Fringe on Top from New’s Time, Blue Note 4001. Then I did what I normally do to prepare a show, I started going through my records. I have my records loosely organized in three categories: Instrumentals pre-1970s, instrumentals 1970 and later, vocals. There are various sub-categories because, like many of you I’m sure, I love to organize and reorganize, probably a little too obsessively.
Anyway, I started going through the 1970s and later records and I pulled out more than 30 records of various types: The five duet albums Oscar Peterson did with trumpet players, Zoot and Bucky, George Shearing and Hank Jones, Art Pepper and George Cables. You get the drift. At that point, I knew I had several shows and I never even bothered to go through the more collectible records from pre-1970. But based on this strictly anecdotal research, it seems to me that duet albums and tracks become more of a thing later on in the jazz vinyl era.
So here’s the thing: If you can think of any good duet albums or tracks, please comment here. If I have them in my collection, I’ll see if I can use them on the show. As I said, I’ve already pulled out more than 30 records, so I’m sure we’ll have some duplication. But I thought it would be a fun project to share here at Jazz Collector if any of my former regular readers and commenters are still around. In any case, I’ll try to be doing more regular posts for a while, so perhaps we’ll build up a regular following once again.
First time commenter here! When you mentioned duet I immediately think of the great Don Byas with Slam Stewart from Town Hall Concert vol 3 on Commodore Series/London. I guess it’s older stuff than most of the tastes on this site but the momentum those 2 generate is undeniable!
Hey Al,
thinking about duet albums, six records come to my mind:
Left Alone revisited (Archie Shepp & Mal Waldron)
Undercurrent (Bille Evans & Jim Hall)
Closeness (Charlie Haden with Alice Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett and Paul Motian)
The Lee Konitz Duets
Conférence de Presse (Michel Petrucciani & Eddy Louiss)
Blow Up (Galliano & Michel Portal).
All the best from Berlin
Maxime
I love the duet format — absolutely love it — though my recommendations would probably fall pretty far into left field for your program (I’d imagine Frank Lowe/Rashied Ali are too far out).
You could get a fair amount of mileage out of the Ornette Coleman/Charlie Haden duos and Haden/Hampton Hawes duets on Artist House, as well as Haden’s set of various duos on A&M Horizon (“Closeness”), on which the Alice Coltrane & Paul Motian duos are quite unique (not being a Jarrett fan I can sort of survive that one).
What about Lee Konitz’ “Duets” LP on Milestone, or his duos with Martial Solal (on Horo, MPS, Hat Art)?
Glad you’re on the radio; my years as a college & community radio DJ were super fun and I learned a ton.
There is the Russ Freeman – Shelly Manne duet album on 10inch Contemporary. Re-issued on 12inch.
It’s older stuff than most of what is talked about in this site but what comes to mind is the great Don Byas with Slam Stewart on Town Hall Concert volume 3 on 12 inch London records. Commodore series. Extended driving solos and pretty good recording for mid 40’s live.
For later stuff I like the Lee Konitz duo with Harold Danko on Wild as Springtime album. Also his duo with Red Mitchell on album on Steeplechase titled I concentrate on you.
Really enjoy the Joe Locke with Kenny Barron album titled But Beautiful on Steeplechase and the one McCoy Tyner did with Bobby Hutcherson titled Manhattan something. Cd only on that last one though
Clifford and Rudolf. Good calls. Thanks for still paying attention. Clifford, you’re right about what’s not in my collection. I had the Konitz record, but sold it when I pared down a few years ago. I don’t think I have, or ever heard, the Freeman-Manne album. I know I don’t have either a 10 inch or 12-inch version.
I think the duet format did become more fashionable inn the later jazz era — and have always thought it was because it was more economically viable than a band, especially in the 70s and 80s, which were hard times for gigging jazz musicians.
I also have a sneaky, largely untested theory that small ensembles were made more acceptable by the rise of solo, duet and trio playing in the improv movement from the late-60s onwards.
Anyway, here are some duos that occur to me:
• Martial Solal with NHOP (Movability, mMPS); with Michel Portal (Fast Mood);
• Stan Tracey with Roy Babbington (‘Plays Duke Ellington’)
• Stan Tracey with son Clark Tracey (’Soundcheck’)
• Archie Shepp with Horace Parlan (‘Goin’ Home’ and ‘Trouble in Mind’), or Mal Waldron (‘Left Alone’), or Abdullah Ibrahim (actually called ‘Duet’, I think);
• Art Pepper with George Cables (Tete-a-Tete and Goin’ Home)
And, to reinforce my own argument about duets in free improv circles, here are some I’m familiar with — and they wouldn’t necessarily frighten the horses:
• Evan Parker and Stan Tracey (‘Crevulations’ and ‘Suspensions & Anticipations’);
• Evan Parker with John Tilbury (Two Chapters and an Epilogue — free music but gently meditative and reflective — real ‘listening improv’)
• Anthony Braxton and Giorgio Gaslini (‘Four Pieces’) and AB with Dave Holland and/or Richard Teitelbaum (Duet/Trio)
• Sam Rivers with Dave Holland (2 volumes)
How about -Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines Weatherbird or the Don Byas Slam Stewart duos – both well before 1970!!
also the Ellington Blanton duos
Nancy Wilson & Cannonball on Capitol is kind of nice. Bird and Diz on Verve (Clef)
Many recent releases on CD of the duo of Cecil Taylor and Tony Oxley.
“He’s the one” was Cecil’s comment after playing with him for the first time.How right he was!
just finished listening to Burrell / Coltrane Why Was I Born? terrific
just remembered another favorite track – Larry Young – Elvin Jones Monk’s Dream from Unity
Billsf: One of my favorites too. I already recorded the show and forgot it. I did include the CD version of Trane with McCoy, They Say It’s Wonderful. I’ll do another Duets show in the future and will definitely include Why Was I Born.