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photo by Carl Van Vechten/Library of Congress

Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond in 1954.

Their 1975 recording of the 1938 J. Fred Coots/Haven Gillespie composition “You Go to My Head” is part of Bob Hecht’s new playlist – 31 recordings celebrating  historic and contemporary duo performances

 

 

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…..Duo performances hold a special charm and interest for this listener. At their best they are so much more than merely one soloist being  accompanied by another musician. Rather, they exemplify the essence of jazz as a conversation between individuals, an open exchange between equal partners. It’s all about LISTENING to each other, and responding to what the other musician is doing. Sometimes, it can even embody classic ‘call and response’ exchanges, with one person answering the other, trading ideas back and forth.

 

…..As pianist Kris Davis has observed about duo playing: “The music feels like it can go anywhere. Then there is the conversational intimacy of it, like two people talking, where there’s this space for give-and-take.”

 

…..Kris Davis, by the way, is represented in the accompanying playlist with a unique duet with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock. Each one of the performances in the playlist has been carefully curated as an example of high-level interaction between partners. 

 

…..In many cases, the musicians have been long-term collaborators—such as Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden or Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy or Wayne Shorter & Herbie Hancock—who have developed the ability to read one another’s musical minds. In addition, a number of them also have had close personal relationships, such as husbands and wives Steve Swallow and Carla Bley, Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes, Mike Wofford and Holly Hunter, or the father-son matchups of Ellis & Branford Marsalis or Jimmy & Doug Raney.

 

…..In all cases, the two partners are functioning as one, elevating their performance to that special ‘two of a mind’ stratosphere. These selections are by modern jazz and contemporary artists, though the early history of jazz is also rich in great duets, including the classic Armstrong/Hines “Weatherbird” or the Ellington/Blanton “Pitter Patter Panther.” 

 

…..Whether life partners or not, the collaborators represented in this playlist have the intuitive ability—as do compatible married couples—to anticipate and finish one another’s sentences. I hope you will not only enjoy these unique conversations but perhaps will even delve into the albums from which they were lovingly chosen.

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Bob Hecht

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Click here to access Bob’s playlist “The Naked Jazz Musician,” and click here to hear “Alone at the Piano”

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Next up…a playlist of Trios!

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This playlist was assembled by Bob Hecht, who frequently contributes his essays, photographs, interviews, playlists and personal stories to Jerry Jazz Musician. He has a long history of producing and hosting jazz radio programs; his former podcast series, The Joys of Jazz,  was the 2019 Silver Medal winner in the New York Festivals Radio Awards. In addition, he is a widely published fine art photographer, whose work has appeared multiple times in The Sun, LensWork, Black & White Magazine, Zyzzyva and other periodicals, as well as in the book, Dream of Venice in Black & White, published by Bella Figuera Publications. He lives with his wife in Portland, Oregon. His photo website is roberthecht.com.

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In addition to putting together great playlists, Bob has conducted several fine interviews for Jerry Jazz Musician.

Click here to read Two of a Mind: Conversations on Creative Collaboration, featuring Bill Charlap and Sandy Stewart; Click here to read his interview with Pepper Adams biographer Gary Carner.  Click here to read “Life in E Flat” – a conversation about Phil Woods – with pianist Bill Charlap and jazz journalist Ted Panken, and click here to read his interview with Alyn Shipton, author of The Gerry Mulligan 1950’s Quartets.

Click here to view all playlists published on Jerry Jazz Musician

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Click here to read The Sunday Poem

Click here to read “A Collection of Jazz Poetry – Spring/Summer, 2024 Edition”

Click here to read “Ballad,” Lúcia Leão’s winning story in the 65th Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest

Click here for information about how to submit your poetry or short fiction

Click here to subscribe to the (free) Jerry Jazz Musician quarterly newsletter

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Click here to help support the ongoing publication of Jerry Jazz Musician, and to keep it ad and commercial-free (thank you!)

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