Kenny Barron & Dave Holland - The Art Of Conversation (2014) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/96kHz]

The Art of Conversation marks the first time bassist/composer Dave Holland and pianist/composer Kenny Barron have recorded their duo performances. These titans began touring together throughout Europe and the United States in 2012 and this album reflects two years of Holland and Barron finessing their empathy, chemistry and repertoire. Out of an expansive body of work that they’ve cultivated, The Art of Conversation offers 10 compositions of originals and standards that exemplify their individual and combined musical ingenuity.

Holland and Barron will continue touring as a duo throughout the rest of 2014 in Europe and the United States. With The Art of Conversation capturing only a small portion of their still expanding repertoire, this disc hopefully marks just the beginning of more artful conversations between the two.

Beginning in 2012, pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Dave Holland formed a duo partnership that found them performing live all around the world. The duo's 2014 studio album, The Art of Conversation, showcases this collaboration with a simple, beautifully understated mix of standards and original compositions. Journeyman solo artists and bandleaders in their own right, both Barron and Holland are virtuoso musicians who've made their mark playing disparate, if compatible, styles of jazz. On one hand, Barron, with his impeccable technique and lyrical taste, is an influential master of straight-ahead post-bop jazz. On the other hand, Holland, also blessed with imposing technique, has moved with deft ease between avant-garde jazz, athletic post-bop, and straight-ahead sessions. What they share is a thoughtful, measured precision and attention to detail, as well as empathetic musical ears that allow for deep musical interplay. All of which is on display here. There's a palpable sense on The Art of Conversation that both Barron and Holland have a deep respect for songs and the composer's original intent. However, that doesn't mean they don't take such songs as Thelonious Monk's "In Walked Bud" and Billy Strayhorn's "Daydream" and make them their own. This balance between respecting the composer and allowing for individual interpretation is especially highlighted on a handful of their own original compositions, including Barron's languid and elegiac "Rain," on which Holland takes the melody, and Holland's similarly dreamlike ballad "In Your Arms," on which Barron takes the helm. Ultimately, it's this kind of sympathetic collaboration, mutual respect, and creative synergy that makes The Art of Conversation such a joy to listen to.

Tracklist:

01 - The Oracle
02 - The Only One
03 - Rain
04 - Segment
05 - Waltz For Wheeler (Dedicated To Kenny Wheeler)
06 - In Walked Bud
07 - In Your Arms
08 - Dr Do Right
09 - Seascape
10 - Day Dream

Produced by Dave Holland and Kenny Barron.
Co-produced by Karen Kennedy and Louise Holland.
Recorded on March 5th 2014 and Mixed on March 6th 2014 at Avatar Studios, NY.
Recording & Mixing Engineer: James Farber. Mastered on April 24th 2014 by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, NYC.

Musicians:
Kenny Barron – piano
Dave Holland – double bass


Thanks to the Original customer!