Jazz with 2 pianos

[Quincy]

A friend (really!) asked if I knew of any jazz recordings featuring 2 pianists. He'd prefer that the piano(s) being played were acoustic.

I suppose he'd accept 2 pianists on one piano, but I think he's after 2 pianists on 2 different acoustic pianos.

Off the top of my head the only thing I could come up with is the track off of First Time! with Duke & Count Basie.

Any suggestions from the board?

[Free For All]

[Free For All]

[Free For All]

[PHILLYQ]

There was an album that came out in the '70s, and I don't know if it was ever released on cd titled 'Shorter by Two' with Kirk Lightsey & ? that was all Wayne Shorter tunes on two acoustic pianos.

Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea have also recorded a two-piano disc.

[Free For All]

[Free For All]

There was an album that came out in the '70s, and I don't know if it was ever released on cd titled 'Shorter by Two' with Kirk Lightsey & ? that was all Wayne Shorter tunes on two acoustic pianos.

  Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea have also recorded a two-piano disc.

[Rooster_Ties]

There was an album that came out in the '70s, and I don't know if it was ever released on cd titled 'Shorter by Two' with Kirk Lightsey & ? that was all Wayne Shorter tunes on two acoustic pianos.

Kirk Lightsey and Harold Danko: Shorter by Two (Sunnyside)

Recorded on July 19th & 21st, 1983, but released in 1989 (copyright 1989, anyway). Also, my CD of this says 'Made In France' - but I'm sure it was probably released on disc in the U.S. as well.

Great album --

It was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread.

Edit: Free For All beat me to it with the album cover, but I gave you a link to the AMG review, so there!!!

Edited September 3, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[Big Wheel]

Larry Young/Joe Chambers -- Double Exposure (note--Young sometimes plays organ and Chambers sometimes plays drums on this record, I think)

Hank Jones/George Shearing --Spirit of 176

Note--I've heard neither of these two records, but given the participants they can't be worse than good.

[Quincy]

Excellent!

Thank you all, I knew you'd come through with some great suggestions.

And not just for my friend. I'll pass this link on to him so he can see them for himself.

Thanks again, and if you got 'em, keep 'em comin'!

[dsgtrane]

Also:

Ellington/Strayhorn GREAT TIMES! PIANO DUETS WITH BILLY STRAYHORN

Ran Blake/Jaki Byard IMPROVISATIONS

There were two Hancock/Corea albums, one for Polydor and one for Columbia.

Marion McPartland recorded a number of here Piano Jazz sessions featuring other pianists. In addition, her album JUST FRIENDS features her in duets with a number of other pianists including Geri Allen, Dave Brubeck and George Shearing.

Didn't Cecil Taylor and Mary Lou Willams also record together? I've never heard it although recall hearing it was strained (not surprising).

For more than two pianos there's:

Jazz Piano Quartet (Dick Hyman, Marian McPartland, Roland Hanna, Hank Jones) LET IT HAPPEN

Piano Choir (Stanley Cowell, Harold Mabern and six others) HANDSCAPES and HANDSCAPES, VOL. 2

[Michael Fitzgerald]

There's a ton of these. Tommy Flanagan/Kenny Barron; Tommy Flanagan/Hank Jones; Hank Jones/John Lewis; Eliane Elias/Herbie Hancock; Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn; Ran Blake/Jaki Byard; Mary Lou Williams/Cecil Taylor; Albert Ammons/Meade Lux Lewis; Muhal Richard Abrams/Amina Claudine Myers; Oscar Peterson/Benny Green; Horace Parlan/Jan Kaspersen; Mal Waldron/Yosuke Yamashita; Ramsey Lewis/Billy Taylor; Chick Corea/Nicolas Economou; Chick Corea/Friedrich Gulda; Ralph Sutton/Jay McShann; Dick Hyman/Dick Wellstood; and on. Of course, the Marian McPartland stuff is ideal - for many years she only had pianists as guests when she started out.

There are also things that aren't an entire album of the same two people: Geoff Keezer: Sublime - duets with Kenny Barron, Chick Corea, Benny Green, Mulgrew Miller. Or Renee Rosnes & Herbie Hancock.

If you like two pianos with bass and/or drums too, in addition to the Barron/Hicks album mentioned above, there's also a Kenny Barron/Barry Harris one; John Mehegan & Eddie Costa; Count Basie & Oscar Peterson, too.

And if you want MORE than just two pianos - there's the "First Modern Jazz Piano Quartet" including Eddie Costa, Johnny Costa, Dick Marx, Hank Jones. Or the "Piano Choir" including Stanley Cowell, Nat Jones, Hugh Lawson, Webster Lewis, Harold Mabern, Danny Mixon, and Sonelius Smith. Or the "Contemporary Piano Ensemble" with James Williams, Mulgrew Miller, Geoff Keezer, Harold Mabern, and Donald Brown. Also investigate the "One Night Stand" album on Columbia with Kenny Barron, Bob James, George Duke, Eubie Blake, Herbie Hancock, Ramsey Lewis, Rodney Franklin, Charles Earland, Bobby Hutcherson, and others. The tours of Japan called "100 Gold Fingers" feature (expectedly) 10 pianists, sometimes doing duos. I think that stuff has only ever been issued in Japan.

As might be expected, full details on the Kenny Barron ones can be found in the KB discography on my website. Also some live things - KB & Mulgrew Miller, etc.

And then there's the Bill Evans: Conversations With Myself stuff. And the Tristano overdubbed stuff. And the Buck Hammer.

I don't know if there is stuff recorded one piano, four hands. I have heard some informal recordings of that kind of thing. But usually if people are going to bother to make a record, they get two pianos.

Mike

[JSngry]

I don't know if there is stuff recorded one piano, four hands.

Steve Allen, er... BUCK HAMMER, did one piano, three hands.

[Quincy]

WOW!

Thank you Michael, thank you one & (Free For) all!

Me thinks he's a bit overwhelmed, but that's all right. It'll keep him out of trouble.

[Free For All]

Be careful what you wish for around here.

[BFrank]

I have that album and was actually at the show, too!

Part of a summer jazz series at the W79th Street Rotunda (near the marina) in NYC. Also saw George Coleman and Clifford Jordan (not together).

[king ubu]

Two of my favourites:

[B. Goren.]

Two of my favourites:

Another for Joens & Lewis.

[EKE BBB]

If you like two pianos with bass and/or drums too, in addition to the Barron/Hicks album mentioned above, there's also a Kenny Barron/Barry Harris one; John Mehegan & Eddie Costa; Count Basie & Oscar Peterson, too.

That´s a nice one!

[EKE BBB]

Ellington/Strayhorn GREAT TIMES! PIANO DUETS WITH BILLY STRAYHORN

[EKE BBB]

Tete Montoliu: Lunch in L.A.

There´s a delightful duet with Chick Corea on "Put your little foot right out".

[JohnS]

Then there's Blue Note's entry in the field, The New Heritage Keyboard Quintet with Roland Hanna and Mickey Tucker.

Another; The Gerry Mulligan Songbook with Bill Charlap and Ted Rosenthal.

[Tim McG]

Benny Green and Oscar Peterson did a fine piano duet album a couple years back.

To wit:

[Indestructible!]

This NEEDS to come back into print!!!

Cheers,

Shane

[Indestructible!]

Oh Yeah,

And although it's not exactly what you're looking for, the combination of Horace Silver and Thelonious Monk on Sonny Rollins, Volume 2 was damn interesting! I wish Alfred (or anyone for that matter) has paired those two up more often!!!

Cheers,

Shane