Simeon Bellison, Israel Brandmann, Grigori Krejn, Julian Krejn Jewish Songs Without Words (meyer, Nemtsov)

Fred Hersch and Julian Lage - Free Flying (2013) {Palmetto Records PM2168} (Complete Artwork)
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© 2013 Palmetto Records | PM2168
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Piano / Guitar

It's quite rare when a jazz duet album between two complementary instruments is so intuitive it often sounds like the work of one player with multiple voices. Such is the case on Free Flying, a live encounter between pianist Fred Hersch and 25-year-old guitarist Julian Lage. The latter is a prodigy who first appeared on a David Grisman album at age eight, played live with Carlos Santana at nine, and by 13 had worked with everyone from Herbie Hancock and Gary Burton (he is still a member of the vibraphonist's New Quartet), as well as issuing a pair of fine solo albums for Emarcy in 2009 and 2011, establishing himself as a mature jazzman.

SCHUBERT: SONGS WITHOUT WORDS is an elegant recital by pianist Daria Hovora and cellist Mischa Maisky that allows us to hear Schubert songs, beautifully rich as they are with the texts as sung by many of our finest singers, here solely for the instrumental line. Somehow the interplay between melody and accompaniment (always an equal partnership in Schubert's hands) is heightened by this experience. Not that the entire album is appropriated by the cello standing in for a vocalist: the opening work is "Sonata for Arpeggione and Klavier" and is one of the highlights of the CD. But just listen to the performances of 'Standchen', 'An die Musik' and 'Du bist die Ruhe' and hear the extraordinary marriage between the piano and cello, singing as beautifully as any other version. This is one of those CDs that bears keeping out for multiple listenings in the late evening.