Good piano guitar duos?

**nick1994** · 09-09-2015, 03:27 AM

Hello everyone, I've been gone a while but now I've been looking for more records of piano guitar duos, apart from Jim Hall and Bill Evans what are some good duos/albums?

**Jonah** · 09-09-2015, 04:00 AM

I thisnk that Jim and Bill record is exceptional - I come back to it from time to time and every time I find with surprise how sensitive both musicians were in concern of interaction. First time I heard it seemed that Bill had to restrict himself to let Jim's guitar sound fully and I did not like taht feel of restriction.. but now I see it not as restriction but as masterful control of his instrument... they really flow together in this river...

I liked Julian Lage and Fred Hersch duo records... not that it was great but I listened to it with pleasure and even a few times... but to me piano has strong domination in these records.

There's pretty weird record of Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass where Peterson plays clavichord...
I think it was Norman Granz' idea - at least it seems very much like him to make such an experiment

I am not a fan of McLaughlin but he made a few duo records with Katia Labeque - Brise De Coere is the most famous song for example..
I remember also I saw some video of him playing duos with other pianists live but I did not like it

Kenny Drew Jr. and Larry Coryell - Duality - but I cannot say much because I only heard one track

**Jonah** · 09-09-2015, 04:06 AM

And I think that any 'Nat King Cole trio' format has texture and sound very close to guitar/piano duos.

(Early Peterson/Ellis/Brown trio, many or Diane Krall trios for example)

**Moonray** · 09-09-2015, 04:49 AM

Peter Leitch with John Hicks ...."Duality" .....coincidentally [given the Coryell/Drew album's name]

The Leitch/Hicks affair is sheer class...a great album that has been overlooked too long.
Peter and John struck up a true rapport from years of playing together.

The other great piano/guitar album for me [and almost everyone else who hears it] is surely
"We'll Be Together Again" featuring Pat Martino and Gil Goldstein [Rhodes piano]
A masterpiece in the jazz guitar world.

I've been trying to get hold of Martino with Jim Ridl on piano ....this album is "Nexus"...haven't
heard it yet ...cockup on the iTunes front.

There is also a follow up to "We'll Be Together Again" called "We Are Together Again" Martino and Goldstein
again.....Amazon won't sell downloads to New Zealand and the Japanese label says it's out of print.
Aaaaarrrrgghh .....don't people want to sell music.

If anyone out there knows how I can buy a CD or download of "We Are Together Again" I'd be most grateful.

**pkirk** · 09-09-2015, 04:53 AM

Originally Posted by nick1994

Hello everyone, I've been gone a while but now I've been looking for more records of piano guitar duos, apart from Jim Hall and Bill Evans what are some good duos/albums?

Ed Bickert with Bill Mays. One of my very favorites.

TH · 09-09-2015, 06:05 AM

The aforementioned Fred Hersch likes working with guitarists. His duo with Bill Frisell is one of my favourites. And the duo with Mick Goodrick is as rare as hen's teeth but it's amazing, with one of the best versions of Sparticus and Soul Eyes ever recorded in my opinion.
There was a recording by McCoy Tyner and it had a number of people he played with; the Scofield duo of Joy Spring is worth the album itself, though it's all good.
John Abercrombie worked with Richie Beirach but I'm not sure how much of their work can be found on CD. I know John also worked with Don Thompson but thinking again, that may have had a rhythm section.
Ed Bikert did work duo with Don but that was with Don on bass.
I know Joe Pass worked with Oscar Peterson and I saw them duo live a lot but I'm not sure of their recorded output.

Just a few I can think of off the top of my head
David

**Stanford J17** · 09-09-2015, 05:21 PM

Joe Pass has a duo record with Jimmy Rowles called "Checkmate"

Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau did a record together.

**neatomic** · 09-09-2015, 10:49 PM

little twist, but i just posted about it on the "listening to now thread" a couple days ago

pat martino…we'll be together again…duet with electric piano!…martino at his absolute most lyrical..shortly before his horrendous health issue that put him out of action for a decade!!!..absolutely killer lp

btw, the abercrombie- beirach is called emerald city…abercrombie uses guitar synth alot for extra textures..a little bit too much of its time ie 1994

cheers

ps- i just caught moonrays mention above about the same martino album…its a goody!!

**setemupjoe** · 09-10-2015, 01:39 AM

Jim Hall and George Shearing "First Edition." Some really beautiful playing by Jim. Emily is a great track.

**jazzkenny** · 09-10-2015, 01:54 AM

Jimmy Raney and Martial Solal
Mundell Lowe and Tete Montoliu
Ernest Ranglin and Monty Alexander
Louis Stewart and Jim Doherty

**nick1994** · 09-10-2015, 03:00 AM

thanks everyone, I forgot to mention that I already had the Martino Goldstein album, but everything else is new to me.

**newsense** · 09-10-2015, 03:07 AM

Metheny-Mehldau is perhaps a more modern take on guitar-piano duets. I find it very relaxing listening. It has the same sort of gentle interplay as in the Hall - Evans recordings.

**paulkogut** · 09-10-2015, 01:11 PM

I just did a five-night run with pianist Carlton Holmes at the Cafe Museum club in Passau. I had a great time exploring the guitar piano duo, it's a challenging but rewarding format.

Some recordings I've checked out in the past

John Abercrombie and Andy Laverne, there are a number of records and a concert video out there

John Abercrombie and Don Thompson Witchcraft (Don plays bass on most cuts, but a few on piano)

Vic Juris and Marc Copland Double Play

Bill Frisell and Fred Hersch Songs We Know

Bruce Forman George Cables Dynamics

I've heard Jim Hall duos with Geoffrey Keezer, Enrico Pieranunzi, Michel Petrucianni
I'd love to hear the Mick and Fred Hersch recording.

Here's a short clip from my recent gig. Carlton brought a bunch of tunes from the late Brooklyn-based composer Roland Alexander. He's not well-known but well worth checking out.

PK

**medblues** · 09-10-2015, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by Stanford J17

Joe Pass has a duo record with Jimmy Rowles called "Checkmate"

Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau did a record together.

I liked their album with Mehldau's trio better.

Fred Hersch and Julian Lage made one, didn't like it much.

**robertoart** · 09-10-2015, 10:18 PM

You might have better luck with Hammond Guitar Trios IMO. But if you're really adventurous, try Karl Berger and Blood Ulmer from the LP Conversations on In & Out Records. An A list of great duets.