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Alex Harding - Lucian Ban: Dark Blue
ByThe musicians occasionally engage in some friendly fire but Harding's deep bass clarinet work on "Black Sea" is comped by Ban's lower register contrasts and loosely articulated Latin phrasings along with his playful picking of the piano strings that offer Harding some improvisational rhythmic support. Other works feature soul-stirring dialogues with Ban's up-tempo ostinato vamps and ascending block chords, adding a bit of tension and dynamic buildups on "Not That Kind Of Blues," countered by Harding's edgy wails and a catchy hook. Here, the duo rips through concise unison statements and ballsy exhortations as they build intensity and execute some reverse-engineering metrics along the way.
It's easy to detect that the duo has been collaborating all these years. At times they seem clairvoyant while interacting and reinventing, without rushing the game-plan by veering off into abstruse angles or rummaging through extended soloing blowouts. Essentially, there are many magical moments throughout this pleasurable and incisive set.
Track Listing
Dark Blue; Tough Love; Chakra; Black Sea; Monkey See; Not That Kind of Blues; Esto; H.B; Lowcountry Blue; The Invisible Man; Hymn.
Personnel
Alex Harding
saxophone, baritoneLucian Ban
pianoAlex Harding: bass clarinet.
Album information
Title: Dark Blue | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records
Comments
About Alex Harding
Instrument: Saxophone, baritone
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