If ever there was evidence for the argument that there are actually more accomplished players in jazz than the genre's media can accommodate then it is right here. Diego Barber is a New York-based Spanish guitarist who is virtually unknown in the UK, yet his pedigree is such that he has recorded with A-listers Mark Turner, Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard, and this strikingly imaginative duet with Craig Taborn really should up his profile. Opting for long-form pieces (running from 11 to 27 minutes), the two men perform with the kind of empathy that flows from acute listening as well as playing, and it is precisely the measured nature of the improvising, the precision, restraint and at times stoicism, that works so well. Barber's classical background looms large in the harmonic basis of his compositions, but the initial chord progressions often slip off on tangents, daringly playing with sharp, unsettling pitches, that create a brooding ambience in keeping with the tasteful monochrome artwork on the sleeve. The streaming arpeggios throughout the set are constantly being turned into choppy rhythmic whirlpools that hold the interest as much for their fitful, intriguing nature as for the strength of each player's attack. Whatever register he is in, Taborn can imply either a low, dampened slur or electric crackle on some of his notes, the latter effect being enhanced by the sharp glisten of Barber's strings, which occasionally recalls subversives like Michael Gregory Jackson. Duet performances are deeply rooted in jazz history but the acoustic guitar-piano format is a rare proposition. Barber-Taborn is a very different animal to the Tomatito-Corea model and should be celebrated for the originality of the material and the chemistry between its players. - Kevin Le Gendre
Tracks
1. Killian's Mountains (Diego Barber)
2. Cipres (Diego Barber)
3. Eternal 7 (Diego Barber)
4. Im Park (Ricardo Gallén)
DIEGO BARBER guitar
CRAIG TABORN piano
Recorded October 2012 at Sear Sound Studios, NY.
Sunnyside - SSC 1346