Kenny Barron & Ted Dunbar - In Tandem (1975) [vinyl]

Just Marvelous

This duo concert by pianist Kenny Barron and guitarist Ted Dunbar is excerpted from a 1975 concert at Rutgers University, where both of them were teaching at the time. Barron and Dunbar (who made a number of recordings, but very few as a leader or co-leader) mesh very well together, though the liner notes don't make clear whether they had worked together previously. The duo tracks are long but never run out of gas. In the two musicians' exploration of "Summertime," Barron provides a modal-type backing line (sounding a bit like McCoy Tyner at times) as Dunbar's blistering solo takes the initial spotlight; the pianist seems strangely buried in the mix during his solo, even though it matches his partner's intensity.

They jointly composed "Aruba," a piece that successfully blends elements of the Caribbean with adventurous post-bop, during which they are unable to resist the temptation to quote fellow jazzman Sonny Rollins' calypso hit, "St. Thomas." There are also solo features for each man. Barron's interpretation of "Here's That Rainy Day" has Tatum-like rapid-fire flourishes, running through a variety of piano styles in an impressive performance. Dunbar's surprising choice of "On the Trail" as his solo feature finds him making great use of space during his tour de force rendition.

Out of print since the end of the LP era, this 1980 record deserves to be reissued and is very highly recommended. A difficult find today but well worth the time and effort to acquire. ~ by Edward Abbott, Amazon.com.

Muse Records, MR 5140, 1980

Recorded 15^th February, 1975 Live on Campus, Rutgers University, New Jersey

Musicians:

Kenny Barron - Piano, [Solo] (#A2)

Ted Dunbar - Guitar, [Solo] (#B2)

Tracks:

A1. Summertime {George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward} (14:30)

A2. Here's That Rainy Day {James Van Heusen, Johnny Burke} (9:50)

B1. Aruba {Kenny Barron, Ted Dunbar} (17:43)

B2. On The Trail {Ferde Grofé} (6:37)

Note:

All applause edited out.

Credits:

Recording Producer - Kenny Barron, Ted Dunbar

Album Producer - Michael Cuscuna

Mixing Engineer - Kurt Monkasel (Big Apple Studio, NYC)

Cover Design and Illustration - Ron Warwell

Liner Notes - Clifford Jay Safane