Pete Malinverni & Juliet Kurtzman: Candlelight: Love In The Time Of Cholera

Gabriel García Márquez is a Columbian author whose novel Love In The Time Of Cholera forms part of the title of this duo recording by jazz pianist Pete Malinverni and classical violinist Juliet Kurtzman. The theme of the novel is about love found, lost and found again, while the musical program presented here keeps the love theme in focus surveying jazz and classical musical styles from the Americas.

Malinverni has an evocative and vibrant playing style that works well with Kurtzman's resonant and stunning tone as they connect through the music. Although it might be a stretch to call this release a jazz album, it could probably be regarded as jazz influenced. For example Bix Beiderbecke, cornetist and pianist, and one of the tragic figures of the jazz age, wrote five of the compositions included here, as well as "Solace" from Scott Joplin and "Body And Soul" written by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman.

The construct of bringing a jazz musician and a classical artist together for a recording session, presents an interesting dilemma. The jazz player lives for the moment using improvisation, while the classical performer rarely, if ever, strays from the musical notes written on the page. In this instance, the collaboration works quite well.

As for the repetoire, in addition to the titles mentioned above, there are two compositions by Malinverni, "Pulcinella" and "Love In The Time Of Cholera." Both of these numbers work well in the hands of the participants and are given characteristic presentations of the underlying tango themes. Of the Beiderbecke creations, the most readily recognizable numbers are "Davenport Blues" and "In A Mist." The tempos chosen for these numbers are more in keeping with current views of the pieces, rather than the ragtime flavour used by Beiderbecke.

Scott Joplin's "Solace" was used as background music in the movie The Sting and here Malinverni and Kurtzman bring a sprightly flavour to their execution. The American Songbook standard "Body And Soul" is given a stellar revision here. Firstly with Malinverni taking a long detour into the melody of the composition. At that point Kurtzman picks up the theme, before reinterpreting Coleman Hawkins' milestone tenor saxophone solo with deep effect.

All in all this is a crossover recording that lives up to the aspirations of the participants.

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