JAZZ

Latest releases reviewed

GABRIELE MIRABASSI/GUINGA
Grafficando Vento
Egea
****

The worlds of Brazilian, jazz and - for want of a better expression - classical music meet, intertwine and blend in this lovely series of guitar and clarinet duets by Guinga, who also composed the pieces, and the marvellous Italian clarinettist, Mirabassi. It constantly combines formal strength with lucid and beguiling improvisation in a way that, in the hands of these masters, illuminates both. Inevitably, given the nature of his instrument, Mirabassi's voice seems the more commanding at first, but repeated listening reveals the subtle influence of Guinga's playing on it in terms of line and mood; it's impossible to conceive of one without the other. And while some may feel the tonal palette of guitar and clarinet limited, behind the graceful facade of this deceptively accessible music is a sophisticated emotional range embracing everything from joy to melancholy, sometimes within a single phrase. www.egearecords.it

PAUL MOTIAN
Trioism
Winter & Winter
***

Motian, tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell made a succession of outstanding recordings for this label during the 1980s and early 1990s. And, while this reissued session from 1993 may not be one of the peaks of the series, it contains much to savour. The opening ballad, It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago, is the trio at its collective best, with Lovano's delicately lyrical lines complemented by Motian's highly original drumming, and Frisell filling out the texture with the utmost sensitivity. On what is essentially an all-ballad release (Motian wrote all the material), Blue Midnight, Monica's Garden and Play are also rewarding performances, but on others some self-indulgence surfaces and the focus is blurred. Tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman guests on one track. www.harmoniamundi.com

MEL TORMÉ/GERRY MULLIGAN/ GEORGE SHEARING
The Classic Concert
Concord
***

This previously unreleased Carnegie Hall concert, part of New York's 1982 jazz festival, was essentially a Mel Tormé date, backed by a specially assembled big band led by baritone saxophonist Mulligan, with guest contributions from pianist Shearing. It's nostalgia: standards, tributes to Basie, Ellington and Mulligan's own past, all done in the best possible taste and with the utmost professionalism. But amid the big-name, back-slapping bonhomie of it all there are things to admire; the band is crisp and swinging, Mulligan's amiable solos work and, above all, Tormé's impeccable intonation, time and infallible ear when he improvises as a scat singer never fails to impress. He was always the most musicianly of singers, even if his approach seemed a tad too considered. His fans should find this rewarding. www.musicconnection.org.uk