ANDY LaVERNE with JOHN ABERCROMBIE - Natural Living (1990)

This duo date marks the first occasion during which Andy LaVerne and John Abercrombie played together, so with the impressive results it isn't surprising to learn that they would get together again in the studio. The give and take between the pianist and guitarist is at the high level of the Bill Evans-Jim Hall sessions. An inventive interpretation of "Sweet and Lovely" starts things off at a high level. They skim the surface of "All the Things You Are" by adding some interesting re-harmonization, while "When You Wish Upon a Star" has a rhapsodic introduction by LaVerne and wonderful comping by each player for his partner's solo. The influence of Bill Evans upon LaVerne's playing during "Stella by Starlight." Both men also contributed original tunes to the date. LaVerne's "Natural Living" is a hard to predict bossa nova with Abercrombie on acoustic guitar, while the pianist's "Archetypal Schemata" and Abercrombie's "John's Waltz" are post-bop masterpieces. Their one collaboration seems to be a joint improvisation, with Abercrombie on guitar synthesizer. This is an excellent all around release.  -  Ken Dryden


Tracks
01. Sweet and Lovely (Gus Arnheim/Jules LeMare/Harry Tobias)
02. Actual Sighs (Andy LaVerne)
03. John’s Waltz (John Abercrombie)
04. All the Things You Are (Oscar Hammarstein II/Jerome Kern)
05. Among Tall Trees (Andy LaVerne)
06. Natural Living (Andy LaVerne)
07. Archetypal Schemata (Andy LaVerne)
08. Magnetic Flux (John Abercrombie/Andy LaVerne)
09. Labour Day (John Abercrombie)
10. When You Wish upon a Star (Leigh Harline/Ned Washington)
11. Stella by Starlight (Ned Washington/Victor Young)
12. Suzy’s World (Andy LaVerne)

ANDY LaVERNE  piano
JOHN ABERCROMBIE  electric and acoustic guitars, guitar-synthesizer

Recorded by David Baker at Sound on Sound Studio, NYC, on November 28-29, 1989
Universal Music France  0602498324813 - LC 00699