08.11.07
The charm of the duo
Played another great gig with violinist Carolyn Dutton last night. We tried out some tunes that were new for us, and got into some of the spontaneous arranging that can only happen telepathically after playing with someone several times.
I still would like a full working band at some point, but I have to say I’m spoiled by the duo setting. It’s mainly how I’ve performed for the past three years. Some gigs with Carolyn, some with bassist Ron Kadish, some with keyboardist Monika Herzig. Certainly the money thing is part of it. You just plain take home more. The main appeal, though, is the ease and quickness with which synergy can get going. A quick exchange of eye contact to confirm that the other player is going where you think you hear them going. Room for a soloist to take an extra chorus to complete an idea.
There are two main ways to make music. One is to follow a set lead sheet or score and present the listener with a predetermined package for whatever purpose (dancing, enjoyment of a symphony, affirmation of one’s lifestyle of demographic identity), and the other is to call a tune and have that be the basic road map for a conversation fraught with the potential for exciting, unforeseen excursions, inviting the audience to come along for the journey. You get that in concentrated form in the jazz-duo setting.
