Piano Duets

[thomastreichler]

I recommend these:

- Tommy Flanagan / Kenny Barron: Together (Denon)

- Marian McPartland duets with with Geri Allen / Dave Brubeck / Tommy Flanagan / Gene Harris / Renée Rosnes / George Shearing: Just Friends (Concord)

- Dado Moroni / Enrico Pieranunzi: Live Conversations (ABeat)

- Dick Hyman / Derek Smith: They Got Rhytm (Jass)

- Dick Hyman / Derek Smith: Dick & Derek At The Movies (Arbors)

- Dick Hyman / Ray Kennedy: What Is There To Say (Victoria)

- Monty Alexander / Michel Sardaby: Caribbean Duet (Harmonic)

- George Shearing / Marian McPartland: Alone Together (Concord)

[gmonahan]

I'm kind of amazed no one has mentioned the fabulous "Satch and Josh" duets of Peterson and Basie on Pablo. I love those!

[thomastreichler]

I'm kind of amazed no one has mentioned the fabulous "Satch and Josh" duets of Peterson and Basie on Pablo. I love those!

You are right, those are wonderful recordings. I concentrated on duets with just pianos without rhythm section.

[king ubu]

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.

Yeah, not bad, but it's still one of the clinkers in CTs discography, all in all - go for "The Willisau Concert" (Intakt) if you want to hear him in a terrific solo performance!

And on topic: been there, done that - there's the search function that's working again!

I remember recommending the Lewis/Jones myself, in an earlier thread, also "Our Delight" by Jones/Flanagan.

I can sort of see Chuck's point... and why on earth would you want even more notes played than Peterson does? Ok, it's Basie who plays only few himself... I guess OP fills up the gaps?

[Daniel A]

I think it has been repressed at least once on some budget label. They play with a rhythm section (Michelot/Clarke) and mostly stay out of eachothers way. Perhaps not the greatest duo recording ever IMO, but good and enjoyable.

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!

Edited July 23, 2007 by Daniel A

[Van Basten II]

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.

If my memory serves me well, they did not get along very well, i think i read a story about that a few years ago.

[kh1958]

If two pianos together is wrong, then this must be criminal.

http://www.amazon.com/Giants-Organ-Togethe...5315837-0791254

(Jimmy McGriff and Groove Holmes, Giants of the Organ Come Together.)

[Swinger]

Irene Schweizer & Marilyn Crispell: Overlapping Hands

Aki Takase & Alexander Von Schlippenbach: LIVE IN BERLIN 93/94

[Ken Dryden]

In response to Chuck's comment, I think piano duets are much like other jazz outings, requiring co-operation, being able to alternate between lead and supporting roles with finesse, without producing a train wreck. The worst duo piano release I know of is Mary Lou Willliams' ill-fated concert with Cecil Taylor, who ignored Williams' ideas and made a mess of the performance.

Marian McPartland has shared a funny anecdote about her broadcast with Dorothy Donegan. After a blazing finale ("Little Rock Getaway," I think) to end the program, she said, "Dorothy, you wasted me." Her guest responded, "It was no contest!"

[jazztrain]

A few I like that haven't been mentioned yet:

Willie "The Lion" Smith and Don Ewell. Grand Pianos.

Dick Wellstood and Dick Hyman. Stridemonster.

[B. Goren.]

Irene Schweizer & Marilyn Crispell: Overlapping Hands

[Shawn]

Would Bill Evans "Conversations with Myself" qualify as a duo recording?

[felser]

Would Bill Evans "Conversations with Myself" qualify as a duo recording?

It would have to, but those Evans overdubbed duo session have always sort of creeped me out.

[freeform83]

Any fans of the Chick Corea/Herbie Hancock duets from 78?

[Guest donald petersen]

[mjzee]

The Mary Lou Williams - Cecil Taylor is a train wreck. It's worth hearing once, just to experience how awful it is. I was at that show, and remember the expression on Bob Cranshaw's face on stage, as in "What am I doing here?"

There was another John Lewis - Hank Jones recording, a direct-to-disc for a Japanese label, called Piano Play House. George Duvivier and Shelly Manne supporting, but there are 2 tracks that are just the duo pianos. More info: Piano Play House

[BFrank]

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.

I kinda have to agree with Chuck and felser. Piano duets tend to sound busy and can be overbearing in "tinkly-ness" (IYKWIM).

Having said that, I agree that this album is pretty good.

Maybe because it's a quartet and maybe because I was at the show.

[Ted O'Reilly]

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!

Sackville SKCD2-2041 recorded live at Toronto's now-gone Montreal Bistro (by me, in fact) and very spontaneous. A good choice of tunes, too, 8 of 'em, with each artist getting a solo along the way.

The same club is the location for performance duos by Dick Hyman with Ralph Sutton, also on Sackville (SKCD2-2054), and Dick and Ralph did one for Concord that's fine: Concord CCD-4603.

The Montreal Bistro was an important club for piano, especially, coming out of the ashes of Toronto's Cafe des Copains, which was originally and continuously for several years, a solo piano room. When the action moved to the Montreal, club owner Lothar Lang had more space, and during the Toronto Jazz Festival often brought in another piano to double the pleasure. I always wanted him to pair up Joanne Brackeen and Jessica Williams...would've been great! (somebody should do it...)

[thomastreichler]

In response to Chuck's comment, I think piano duets are much like other jazz outings, requiring co-operation, being able to alternate between lead and supporting roles with finesse, without producing a train wreck.

I completely agree with this statement. In the hands of two musicians with the ability to interplay and co-operate the piano duet can be a most fascinating and exciting experience. Dick Hyman is a master of this form in almost any style, as are Hank Jones, John Lewis, Tommy Flanagan, Marian McPartland - it does not come as a surprise that all of these are great soloists as well as superb and tasteful accompanists.

[Teasing the Korean]

Would Bill Evans "Conversations with Myself" qualify as a duo recording?

I believe it's a TRIO recording, at least the first one on Verve.

[felser]

That one is pretty cool. It's a quartet with two keyboards (Haynes and Kirk Lightsey), bass, and drums. Some of the Corea/Hancock stuff is pretty nice, but I would have just as soon (in fact rather) had solo renditions. I attended one of their shows in the 70's at the Tower Theatre, and it was pretty tame, all things considered. I find the two-keyboard stuff that Zawinul and Hancock did on the 1970 Joe Zawinul album to be beautiful, but that's in the context of a full group. Likewise, the Corea/Hancock/Zawinul stuff on 'In A Silent Way' is pretty wonderful. The two piano idea seems to work better with electric keyboards because of the differing sounds/textures which can be achieved. Some amazing things have been done with two keyboards in Rock by groups like Procol Harum and Rare Bird.

[kh1958]

Boogie Woogie Boys, 1938-1944, on Magpie--Mostly some pretty nice piano duets featuring Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson.

Plus one piano trio with Meade Lux Lewis, but that's where I draw the line.

Edited August 11, 2007 by kh1958

[alocispepraluger102]

a concert coming up this fall in san francisco which may be added to this list is satoko fuji and myra melford.