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Saskia Laroo & Warren Byrd – Two of a kind, A tribute to Miles & Monk

Beste Erno,

Je kan een plaat leuk vinden of niet, dat is je goed recht. Warren Byrd een simplistische pianist noemen brengt jezelf echter in diskrediet als geloofwaardig recensent. Ik heb het voorrecht gehad met Warren Byrd letterlijk over de hele wereld op te mogen treden, en kan hem niet anders typeren dan als een zeer creatieve pianist met 'huge ears', een heel eigen harmonisch vocabulaire en ontzettend veel ziel in zijn spel. Bovendien is hij een muzikant die in tegenstelling tot de meeste Nederlandse pianisten het authentieke (Amerikaanse) jazz idioom vloeiend beheerst.

De recensie verklaart gelukkig wel iets: Een overdosis cynisme, slechte interpunctie en een flauwe metafoor op het einde laten al zien dat de schrijver waarschijnlijk überhaupt niet ontvankelijk is voor eerder genoemde kwaliteiten.

Maarten Bakker (URL) - 26-09-’11 15:16

ben nietzo van de relax Jazz,
maar dit schijfje doet het goed in mijn oren,
hoort het zelf een beetje via
http://www.myspace.com/saskialaroo
en laat hier maar lezen,
deFretenzo

deFret (E-mail ) - 26-09-’11 17:38

recensie uit USA van gerenommeerd jazz journalist Owen McNally
Warren Byrd, the Hartford pianist/vocalist, and Saskia Laroo, the trumpet and bass playing Amsterdam native, celebrate their dynamic duo alliance with their solid new CD, "Two of a Kind: A Tribute to Miles & Monk" (Laroo Records).
While Miles and Monk had their differences on occasion, Laroo, a trumpet diva who's known throughout Europe as "Lady Miles," and Byrd, who has played with many extraordinary bands in the Hartford area as well on the international jazz circuit, bring unity of purpose and spirit to this special occasion which marks the Hartford/Amsterdam duo's recording debut.
Right from the opening track, Laroo's piece called "Pretty Rome," the pair generates confidence and cohesion as the piano and trumpet engage in breezy conversation, with each player having much to say in the briskly interactive but balanced colloquy.
The opener sets the bar high for quality and vitality, a lofty standard maintained throughout all 15 tracks, winding up with the grand finale featuring a romp through Miles' "Four," crackling with Laroo's crisp, Milesian thoughts on muted horn.

Byrd contributes four originals, Laroo three, and together they co-wrote three. Into this mix they include their bright interpretations of such jazz classics as "Four," plus Miles' "Solar" and Monk's "Well You Needn't" and "Misterioso." As a kind of surprise bonus, there's also Benny Golson's "I Remember Clifford," the venerable jazz requiem for trumpeter Clifford Brown.
Byrd sings, even scats here and there, plus does some hand drumming on bongos on another track. A careful, empathetic listener and accompanist, Byrd also knows how to assert his own solo voice, virtues perhaps acquired early on in life since he was the youngest of 16 siblings, including five brothers and 10 sisters.
Laroo plays open and muted horn and swings on bass on a handful of tracks, including the duo's high-flying, solar-powered rendition of "Solar." You just get accustomed to Lady Miles musing on trumpet, and the next thing you know the Flying Dutchwoman is soaring on booming standup bass. And it's not just an acoustic shtick, but the real deal.
Individual soloing talents strut their way through the disc, balanced with a genuine sense of collaboration. Each player shines on his or her own while simultaneously inspiring one another and accentuating one another's strengths. As part of the buoyant mood, they accentuate the positive but never have to eliminate the negative because there isn't any.
Because they so obviously love the duo format and thrive on collaborating with each other, they generate an upbeat feeling with their playing that flows, never flags.n "Well You Needn't," for example, they bounce ideas back-and-forth in a spritely celebration of Monk's waggish, wry wit. They also have great fun with Monk's "Misterioso," graced with an echoing, funhouse effect, quite misterioso but also oh so celebratory.
These aren't your usual, plain, ordinary covers. They're far more special, more like hand-crafted, designer label apparel than the more common, threadbare, hand-me-down fashions that sometimes pass as covers.

The final paragraph in the CD's liner notes pretty much writes the CD's own capsule review:
"This collaboration of Duo Laroo/Byrd is tasty with moments of deep, core satisfaction, rife with those charms that keep Saskia and Warren coming back for more…and maybe even Miles and Monk could ultimately agree on: spontaneity, drive, challenge, sincerity, drama and flow."
After this happy Trans-Atlantic dual alliance, more Laroo/Byrd flights must be booked.

Saskia Laroo (E-mail ) (URL) - 19-03-’13 18:52

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