kh1958 Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 My last two piano duet acquisitions both turned out to be quite good Jaki Byard and Ran Blake--Improvisations (Soul Note); and Muhal Richard Abrams and Amina Claudine Myers--Duet (Black Saint). I think I like the dual piano format more than I realized. I have the Ellington/Strayhorn. Also, John Mehehan and Eddie Costa, A Pair of Pianos on Savoy. I can't think of any others offhand. What are the really good ones? Quote
B. Goren. Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 Duo in Paris is the first one that comes to my mind. Solal & Kühn are among my favorite pianists. Quote
Stereojack Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 Bill Evans & Bob Brookmeyer Kirk Lightsey & Harold Danko Quote
mjzee Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 I really like this: Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones - Our Delights Quote
B. Goren. Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 Another graet one with two great pianists: Quote
mikeweil Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 I second the recommendation on the Lewis/Jones - there's more but rare stuff on Japanese labels. I have a Jaki Byard / Earl Hines LP that's great! Saw Barry Harris and Kenny Barron duet on some TV documentation, no idea whether they made a recording, but what I heard was great. Any duet with Harris, Hank Jones, Barron, or Flanagan would get my recommendation. For hyperbole, check out the Contemporary Piano Ensemble: on their first CD (I think it is available on Evidence) it's just duets - James Williams, Harold Mabern, Geoffrey Keezer, Mulgrew Miller in different pairings - but on the second on DIW (with Donald Brown added) it's four (!) pianos at a time, and they have a great time! Quote
mikeweil Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 (edited) There also is a duo CD of Harold Mabern and Geoffrey Keezer on Sackville, but I have yet to hear it. Edited July 22, 2007 by mikeweil Quote
B. Goren. Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 There also is a duo CD of Harold Mabern and Geoffrey Keezer on Sackville, but I have yet to hear it. For Phineas. I like it. Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 Not sure which to recommend, but there are a number of Keith Tippett/Howard Riley albums in this format. Quote
kh1958 Posted July 22, 2007 Author Report Posted July 22, 2007 Much thanks for all the recommendations. Quote
Van Basten II Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 Little late in this thread but i would recommend if you can find it. Quote
marcello Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 There also is a duo CD of Harold Mabern and Geoffrey Keezer on Sackville, but I have yet to hear it. That's really a great one. Their rapport makes for great music! Quote
mjzee Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 Another good one, if a little lacking in fire (clever title, too): George Shearing & Hank Jones - The Spirit of 176 Quote
Peter Friedman Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 In general I much prefer one piano to two. Piano duos are frequently too dense with players stepping on each other. However, given that above comment, here are some I do enjoy. Pete Jolly & Jan Lundgren - Collaboration - Fresh Sound Tommy Flanagan & Hank Jones - Our Delights - Galaxy Andre Previn & Russ Freeman - Double Play - Contemporary Bill Evans & Bob Brookmeyer - The Ivory Hunters - Liberty David Newton & Brian Lemon - Play Hoagy Carmichael - Zephyr Kenny Drew & Hank Jones - New York Stories - Alfa John Lewis & Hank Jones - An Evening With Two Grand Pianos - Atlantic John Lewis & Hank Jones - Django - All Art (They play as a duo on 3 tracks) Barry Harris & Kenny Barron - Confirmation - Candid Rein De Graaf - Nostalgia - Timeless (2 tracks feature Rein De Graaf playing a piano duo with Barry Harris) Quote
clifford_thornton Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 Not sure which to recommend, but there are a number of Keith Tippett/Howard Riley albums in this format. And, iirc, a Riley/Byard duo - not to mention Riley overdubbed! Quote
medjuck Posted July 22, 2007 Report Posted July 22, 2007 There are a bunch of Maian McPartland's Piano Jazz cds that usually have some duets on them. (I've only got the one with Bill Evans and the one with Benny Carter. For obvious reasons the latter doesn't count.) Quote
Ken Dryden Posted July 23, 2007 Report Posted July 23, 2007 Jaki Byard & Earl Hines: Duet! (MPS) Jaki also told me about a never-issued duo session with Tommy Flanagan. It supposedly isn't in the Prestige recordings in Concord's vault, but maybe it was for another label. Marian McPartland and Dick Hyman have done duo dates with other pianists. I know that I have a ton of duo piano recordings and I'm coming up blank at the moment. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted July 23, 2007 Report Posted July 23, 2007 I think piano duets are a silly idea. Two people with all these harmonic problems at their fingertips and you want them to play together? Some ego will be smashed. If the egos were smashed earlier things might be fine. Quote
felser Posted July 23, 2007 Report Posted July 23, 2007 (edited) I really like 'Handscapes' by the Piano Choir, a 1972 Stanley Cowell project which came out on Strata East. Seven pianists participated. Included Cowell, Harold Mabern, Hugh Lawson, Sonelius Smith, Webster Lewis, Danny Mixon, and Nat Jones. Also like 'Rhythm-a-ning', Kenny Barron and John Hicks with bass and drums (Walter Booker, Jimmy Cobb), a 1989 session on Candid. Hard to go wrong with 12+ minute renditions of their greatest compositions, Barron's "Sunshower" and Hicks's "After the Morning". But those are the exceptions to the rule for me. In general, I agree with Chuck, bad idea. Edited July 23, 2007 by felser Quote
kh1958 Posted July 23, 2007 Author Report Posted July 23, 2007 I forgot to mention one more piano duet--from Blue Note's very first recording session--there were a couple of cuts of duets of Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis. Didn't Cecil Taylor record a duet album with Mary Lou Williams? I haven't heard it, but that does sound like a bad idea. Quote
brownie Posted July 23, 2007 Report Posted July 23, 2007 Not sure it was reissued on CD, but the Hampton Hawes-Martial Solal duo recorded in Paris is a superb session. Quote
clifford_thornton Posted July 23, 2007 Report Posted July 23, 2007 Not sure it was reissued on CD, but the Hampton Hawes-Martial Solal duo recorded in Paris is a superb session. The vinyl is on BYG, right? I've always been curious about that one, though it's been pricey when I've seen it offered. Quote
clifford_thornton Posted July 23, 2007 Report Posted July 23, 2007 I really like 'Handscapes' by the Piano Choir, a 1972 Stanley Cowell project which came out on Strata East. Seven pianists participated. Included Cowell, Harold Mabern, Hugh Lawson, Sonelius Smith, Webster Lewis, Danny Mixon, and Nat Jones. Handscapes is a great record. It adds a lot of percussion to the mix, so the record isn't just a "piano" LP. Quote
brownie Posted July 23, 2007 Report Posted July 23, 2007 Not sure it was reissued on CD, but the Hampton Hawes-Martial Solal duo recorded in Paris is a superb session. The vinyl is on BYG, right? I've always been curious about that one, though it's been pricey when I've seen it offered. That's the one. Did not realized it became pricey because the vinyl was seen pretty often in stores here at the time. My copy carries an autograph from Monsieur Solal! Quote
B. Goren. Posted July 23, 2007 Report Posted July 23, 2007 Didn't Cecil Taylor record a duet album with Mary Lou Williams? I haven't heard it, but that does sound like a bad idea. He did and the result is not bad at all. Quote
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