Saxophone Piano Duos - The Big List

[robmid]

Saxophone Piano Duos

I've been collecting sax piano dues for several months, and I'd thought I post a list of what I've found so far.

This is some of my favorite jazz ever. Something about this duo format that brings something special out in all the players. When playing in a duo you can't hide - every note sticks out. So there's a certain attention to detail not as much present in other jazz recordings.

Despite the same instrumentation, all of these are subtly different. Many are mostly standards, several are originals, all are very good to great.

I really can't identify my favorite, or what I consider the best. All are unique and beautiful in their own way. So if you want to get some of these, you could start anywhere and not be disappointed.

Most of these were acquired on Amazon or eMusic. Most were reasonably priced and quite available. A few are a little hard to find or rather pricey. There are many more available at the Jazz Loft that are pricier and that I haven't acquired yet which are at the bottom of the list.

Here they are - listed in order of release or recording date (there may be a few errors here). The primary artist on the recording is listed first. (em) for eMusic.

Spirits - Lee Konitz & Sal Mosca - 1971 (em)
The Duets - Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond - 1975
Heavy Love - Al Cohn & Jimmy Rowles - 1977 (em)
Goin' Home - Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - 1977
Dynamic Duo - George Coleman & Tete Montolou - 1977
Duet - Archie Shepp & Abdullha Ibrahim - 1978
Omerta - Dave Liebman & Richie Bierach - 1978
Duo Reunion - Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - 1979
Trouble in Mind - Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - 1980 (em)
Goin' Home - Art Pepper & George Cables - 1982 (em)
Tete-A-Tete - Art Pepper & George Cables - 1982 (em)
Toot Sweet - Lee Konitz & Michel Petrucciani - 1982 (em)
At the Bimhuis - Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron - 1982
Poetry - Stan Getz & Albert Dailey - 1983
Wild as Springtime - Lee Konitz & Harold Danko - 1984 (em)
Double Image - Frank Morgan & George Cables - 1986
The Healers - David Murray & Randy Weston - 1987 (em)
Much More - Mal Waldron & Marion Brown - 1988 (em)
Art of Duo - Jim Pepper & Mal Waldron - 1989
Chant - David Liebman & Richard Beirach - 1990
A Little Pleasure - J.R. Montrose & Tommy Flanagan - 1990
Hot House - Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron - 1990
Convergence - Richie Beirach & George Coleman
Tea for Two - George Arvanitas & David Murray - 1991
People Time - Stan Getz & Kenny Barron - 1991
Spirit of Mingus - Steve Lacy & Eric Watson - 1991 (em)
You Must Believe in Spring - Frank Morgan & Pianists - 1992
Double Time - Paul Bley & Jane Bunnett - 1993 (em)
Concord Duo Series No. 10 - Chris Potter & Kenny Werner - 1994
Dualism - Marcelo Zarvos & Peter Epstein - 1994
Duo Leipzig - Anothony Braxton & Ted Reichman - 1995
Ugly Beauty - Donal Fox & David Murray 1995 (em)
Sunbeam and Thundercloud - Joe Temperley and Dave McKenna - 1995 (em)
Pool of Dreams - Alex Foster and Michael Wolff - 1996
Loved Ones - Ellis & Branford Marsalis - 1996
1 + 1 - Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter - 1997
Commniqué - Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron - 1997
In & Out - Martial Solal & Johnny Griffin - 1999
The Waiting Game - Mike Nock & Marty Ehrlich - 1999
Close Your Eyes - Johnny Griffin & Horace Parlan - 2000
Esquina - Joao Paulo & Peter Epstein - 2001
Don't Explain - Joel Frahm & Brad Mehldau - 2001
Yet Can Spring - Myra Melford & Marty Ehrlich - 2001
Contrasts - Jon Gordon & Bill Charlap - 2001 (em)
Round and Round - Marc Copland & Greg Osby - 2002
Unleemited - Lee Konitz & Kenny Werner - 2003 (em)
Live-Lee - Lee Konitz & Alan Broadbent - 2003 (em)
More Live-Lee - Lee Konitz & Alan Broadbent - 2003
St. James Infirmary - Skinny Williams & Erwin Helfer - 2003
Manhattan Dialogues - David Liebman & Phil Markowitz - 2004
Night Call - Marc Copland & Greg Osby - 2004
Alone Together - Bud Shank and Rein de Graaf - 2004
Just You, Just Me - Stan Tracey & Danny Moss - 2004 (em)
Left Alone Revisited - Archie Shepp & Mal Waldron - 2005 (em)
Occasion - Harry Connick Jr. & Branford Marsalis - 2005
First Take - Archie Shepp & Siegfried Kessler - 2005
Renderings: The Art of the Duo - Andrew Rathburn & George Colligan - 2005
Fiestas de Agosto - David Binney & Edward Simon - 2005 (em)
All or Nothing at All - Armen Donelian & Marc Mommas - 2006 (em)
The Art of Duo - Gerd Dudek & Michael Mikolaschek - 2006 (em)
Raw Materials - Vijay Iyer & Rudresh Mahanthappa - 2006
You Taught My Heart to Sing - Houston Person & Bill Charlap - 2006
Vienna Dialogues - Dave Liebman and Bobby Avey - 2006
Pa Chuly - Christof Saenger & Ernie Watts - 2006 (em)
Kids - Live at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola - Joe Lovano & Hank Jones - 2007
Spark! - Marty Ehrlich & Myra Melford - 2007
Beyond the Red Door - Bud Shank & Bill Mays - 2007
October Waltz - Frank Wunsch & Lee Konitz - 2007 (em)
Ashiya - Walter Lang & Lee Konitz - 2007
Silence - David Murray & Mal Waldron - 2008
A Time for Love - Kennny Werner & Jens Sondergaard - 2008

(71)

And ones on my want list:

From eMusic
Sempre Amore - Mal Waldron with Steve Lacy - 1987
Blue Topaz - Ernie Watts & Christof Saenger - 2006

From Amazon
Grace - Jamie Oehlers and Sam Keevers
Blue Monk - Aki Takase & David Murray
Live-Lee II - Lee Konitz & Alan Broadbent - 2003
Swing Low - Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan
Bookends - David Liebman & Marc Copland - 2003
Tea for Two - Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond
Colors - Live From Leipzig - Ornette Coleman & Joachim Kühn - 1997

Amazon Downloads
Symbiosis - Tommy Smith & Brian Kellock (ad)
8 Day Journal - Sam Rivers & Tony Hymas - 1998 (ad)
Winter Garden - Sam Rivers & Tony Hymas - 1998 (ad)
The Music of Charlie Mariano - Charlie Mariano & Mike Herting (ad)

Amazon *Expensive*
Concord Duo Series No. 4 - Alan Broadbent & Gary Foster - 1993
Boundless - Lol Coxhill & Veryan Weston - 1998
Gentle Men Blues - Pee Wee Ellis & Horace Parlan - 1999
Hamba Khale! - Gato Barbieri and Dollar Brand

From Jazz Loft
Live at the Dreher - Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron - 1981
Live in Berlin '84 - Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron - 1984
New York Duets - Jane Bunnett & Don Pullen - 1989
Waldron & Haslam - Mal Waldron and George Haslam - 1994
Duets for Trane - Rosario Giuliani & Franco D'Andrea - 1997
Critical Mass - Agusti Fernandez, Mats Gustafsson - 2004
Crevulations - Evan Parker & Stan Tracey - 2005
A Jazz Duet - Liz Gorell & Charley Krachy

Suggested by Forum Members (ones in print)
Duologue - Mike Nock & Dave Liebman (birdland.com.au)
Bezique - Tommy Smith & Brian Kellock
Homecoming - Eddie Harris & Ellis Marsalis
Two Chapters and an Epilogue - Evan Parker & John Tilbury
Indian Summer - Greg Fishman & Eddie Higgins
Two for The Road - Greg Fishman & Judy Roberts

That's all, so far. As I collect them, I'll add them to the master list.

If you know of any others, please let me know.

Cheers,

[thedwork]

hey robmid. maybe check this one out:





i saw these two give a master class at Harvard in the mid 90s and it was fantastic. Donal has a real "third stream" sensibility, and Murray plays both tenor and Bass Clarinet on the record. solid, interesting, outside-of-the-box music.

[brokenpianist]

I love 'Symbiosis' by Tommy Smith and Brian Kellock:



It's not as adventurous as most of Tommy Smith's stuff, it's more straight. Loads of cheesy ballads, its the kind of record your mom would like. Its great though.

I might check out some of the albums from your list.

[Marcello]

Here's the other one by Tommy Smith and Brian Kellock:



Tommy Smith - tenor saxophone
Brian Kellock - piano

01 Bud Powell (Chick Corea)
02 Very Early (Bill Evans)
03 Never Let Me Go (Livingston/Evans)
04 Come Rain Or Come Shine (Mercer/Arlin)
05 The Thrill Is Gone (Brown/Henderson)
06 Ladies In Mercedes (Steve Swallow)
07 Don't You Know I Care (Duke Ellington)
08 Parker 51 (Stan Getz)
09 Lush Life (Billy Strayhorn)

http://www.spartacusrecords.com

[bvy]

That's an excellent list, and I don't have much to add. My top three from your list are the Konitz/Danko, Lacy/Watson and Pepper/Cables.

Here's one I think you'll really like:

Armen Donelian and Marc Mommaas - All or Nothing at All

Samples: http://www.amazon.com/All-Nothing-at...116436-3927207

[Egbert Souse]

Great list, great idea for a thread and there goes my disposable income this month.

[ehz]

Mike Nock and Dave Liebman - Duologue

If my memory serves me right (I don't have the disk in front of me at the moment), this was recorded live at the Wangarratta Jazz Festival in Australia a few years ago. Not sure what label it's on, although I presume it is an Aussie one.

[robmid]

Originally Posted by ehz

Mike Nock and Dave Liebman - Duologue

If my memory serves me right (I don't have the disk in front of me at the moment), this was recorded live at the Wangarratta Jazz Festival in Australia a few years ago. Not sure what label it's on, although I presume it is an Aussie one.

Saw a review for this but can't find it anywhere. Know where it's available?

To others: Thanks for some new ones to add to the list! As with all jazz collecting, it turns out that list is never-ending. Bet I'm up to 100 in a year or so.

Cheers,

[papsrus]

Originally Posted by Egbert Souse

Great list, great idea for a thread and there goes my disposable income this month.

You and me both.


Thanks robmid!

[ehz]

Re -Mike Nock and Dave Liebman - Duologue - Saw a review for this but can't find it anywhere. Know where it's available?


Hi Romid,

Try birdland records online store. Their web address is "http://www.birdland.com.au" although I just tried it and couldn't get it to work. I just googled it and came up with a few online stores such as chaos and sanity which appeared to stock it.

[rene]

Not sure if this is still available but its a great album:



John Taylor/John Surman - 'Ambleside Days' (ah um)

Also, you may want to consider this trombone-piano duet:



Nils Wogram/Simon Nabatov - 'The Move'

One of my favorite duo albums!

[HutchFan]

Robert,

I haven't heard this one, but it's on the "to-get" list. I think it'll be a good one.

Contrasts - Jon Gordon & Bill Charlap
Gordon is a an altoist who studied with Phil Woods. Haven't heard his music, but I have read many good things about him. Gordon's newest solo release (not this one) is on ArtistShare, and it's supposed to be excellent. Charlap is tremendous, one of my favorite pianists.

The rec is available on emusic.com, IIRC.

An AAJ review:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/reviews/r0202_010.htm

[robmid]

Originally Posted by rene

Not sure if this is still available but its a great album:



John Taylor/John Surman - 'Ambleside Days' (ah um)

Also, you may want to consider this trombone-piano duet:



Nils Wogram/Simon Nabatov - 'The Move'

One of my favorite duo albums!

Would love to find the Surman/Taylor. The other one seems to be piano and brass, not sax.

Cheers,

[duaneiac]

Sunbeam and Thundercloud -- Joe Temperley (baritone/soprano sax and bass clarinet on one tune) and Dave McKenna



You Must Believe in Spring -- Frank Morgan (duets with Sir Roland Hanna, Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, and Barry Harris, plus each pianist gets one solo number)

[KevinP]

It's on your list, but it's worth drawing attention to. I love this album.