Enrico Rava and Fred Hersch collaboration The Song Is You is a big autumn highlight

Hugely influential on some of the world's greatest jazz pianists including Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson US pianist, composer and bandleader Fred Hersch hasn't until now recorded for ECM before so this factor makes the November release something …

Published: 5 Aug 2022. Updated: 20 months.

Hugely influential on some of the world's greatest jazz pianists including Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson US pianist, composer and bandleader Fred Hersch hasn't until now recorded for ECM before so this factor makes the November release something special.

Italian master Rava is by contrast part of the fabric of the German label, in recent years on jaw dropping form on Roma.

The duo introduce The Song Is You with their beautiful take on the Jobim classic also known as 'Portrait in Black and White' and 'Zingaro' deriving from 1967's A Certain Mr Jobim.

Rava is on flugelhorn on the recording produced by Manfred Eicher and which also includes a free improvisation by the duo.

Laid down in a Lugano studio The Song Is You includes the title track Jerome Kern's 'The Song Is You' a song that dates back to a first recording in 1932 and which has been covered in fairly recent years by Chick Corea in 2013 and Kenny Werner just 5 years ago.

Also making the cut is Hersch original 'Child's Song' which was on the Hersch Pocket Orchestra's 2009 Live at Jazz Standard album and Rava's 1996 Label Bleu Noir piece 'The Trial.'

Enrico Rava, top left, and Fred Hersch

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Will Vinson, Tripwire, Whirlwind ***

Track of the day and new in the 1 Love spot is very much a sax fan's port of call. 'Tripwire' which in terms of its construction has lots of musical sub-clauses that serve to keep you listening through the thickets of motific development whipped up …

Published: 5 Aug 2022. Updated: 20 months.

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Track of the day and new in the 1 Love spot is very much a sax fan's port of call. 'Tripwire' which in terms of its construction has lots of musical sub-clauses that serve to keep you listening through the thickets of motific development whipped up by arpeggiating lines to eventually reveal a resolution. Alto ace Will Vinson who also wrote the piece is with double bass face Matt Penman and drummer Eric Harland. Breakout star tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana whose 12 Stars is one of 2022's best is elsewhere on a couple of other album tracks. In addition to this interval leaping livener in which Vinson is very conversational with Harland as Penman stalks the melodic development eventually taking a mysteriously deadpan but nonetheless highly effective solo in context, Tripwire tracks (the full album is out next month) also include the J. Fred Coots/Sam Lewis song 'For All We Know' that first was introduced as a foxtrot in the 1930s by Hal Kemp and His Orchestra. Eric Harland, top left, Will Vinson, Melissa Aldana, Matt Penman. Photo: via Whirlwind