Ron Carter: An Evening With Ron Carter, Richard Galliano (Live At The Theaterstübchen, Kassel)

The odds are that most readers are not intimately familiar with jazz accordion. Undoubtedly, that is because there are not very many of them; someone might list Art Van Damme, Tommy Gumina, Angelo di Pippo, and Mat Mathews, none of them a household name. The Franco-Italian Richard Galliano should probably hold contemporary pride of place among accordionists, although even he, remarkable a player that he is, will not move the needle much. That is not a good thing.

Galliano has actually recorded with bassist Ron Carter before, on Panamahattan (Dreyfus, 1990), so cognoscenti will know they play well together. Carter may well be the most recorded jazz bassist in history; he requires no introduction. Galliano, an evident but far more boppish disciple of the Argentine bandoneon player, Astor Piazzola, has been amazing listeners for over thirty years. This live recording, made in Germany, brings the two together again in a very intriguing mixture of textures, rhythms, harmonies, colors, and genres. As the saying goes, try it: you may like it.; especially true of fans of contemporary vinyl audiophile pressings.

Both Galliano and Carter get plenty of solo time to show off their respective techniques, but it is, perhaps, their interaction which is most fascinating, because they are clearly listening to each other. It seems "Aria/Libertango" has become a flag-waver for both modern bassists and accordionists. Carter gets the spotlight on "You Are My Sunshine," which quotes from various unlikely and unexpected (i.e., classical) sources. "Blues for D.P." features Galliano and Carter together, as does "Ah Rio." There are waltzes, tangos, something for everyone. All are tasteful, occasionally arch, and, for the most part, highly entertaining and musical.

Honestly, this is not an instrumental combination that would have seemed very promising to an unrepentant fan of swing and hard bop. Sometimes, opening the mind as well as the ears is a very good idea. Truly, it is not the axe, but the player which matters: there is no better illustration than this "record."