The concise and relatively short pieces featured on this new recording continue Michael Mantler’s basic concept of creating music that is in part completely notated, but also involves improvisation. It is here reduced to a minimum, possibly his simplest and most economic interpretation of that idea so far, with only two instruments: the piano representing his basically orchestral compositional concept with a soloist from contemporary new music (a “classical” non-improvising pianist), combined with a second player coming from jazz, the guitarist (improvising and freely interpreting).
Michael Mantler: For Two
Bjarne Roupé, Per Salo
- 1Duet One
01:48 - 2Duet Two
01:42 - 3Duet Three
02:05 - 4Duet Four
01:33 - 5Duet Five
02:02 - 6Duet Six
04:30 - 7Duet Seven
02:25 - 8Duet Eight
02:18 - 9Duet Nine
01:54 - 10Duet Ten
03:59 - 11Duet Eleven
02:44 - 12Duet Twelve
02:45 - 13Duet Thirteen
01:19 - 14Duet Fourteen
03:02 - 15Duet Fifteen
01:13 - 16Duet Sixteen
02:17 - 17Duet Seventeen
01:59 - 18Duet Eighteen
01:45
“For Two”, a striking duet recording of new music for piano and guitar, encapsulates conceptual considerations central to Michael Mantler’s work. Since the mid-1960s, when he co-founded the Jazz Composer’s Guild and established the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, finding forms for creatively channelling the improvisational impulse has been a priority. In the course of a distinguished series of recordings for JCOA, WATT and ECM, Mantler has often looked at ways in which notated music and improvising can inform, complement or inspire each other. On “For Two” the concise duets continue Michael Mantler’s basic concept of creating music that is in part completely notated, but also involves improvisation.
With only two instruments here, the piano represents Mantler’s essentially orchestral concept with a soloist from contemporary new music (a “classical” non-improvising pianist), combined with a second player coming from jazz, the guitarist (improvising/freely interpreting).
The album was recorded in the South of France and in Denmark, with material subsequently edited by Michael Mantler, and mixed and mastered September/October 2010 at Studios La Buissonne near Avignon.
With only two instruments here, the piano represents Mantler’s essentially orchestral concept with a soloist from contemporary new music (a “classical” non-improvising pianist), combined with a second player coming from jazz, the guitarist (improvising/freely interpreting).
The album was recorded in the South of France and in Denmark, with material subsequently edited by Michael Mantler, and mixed and mastered September/October 2010 at Studios La Buissonne near Avignon.
