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Adam Berenson / Scott Barnum: Stringent and Sempiternal
ByThe opener is Shorter's "Nefertiti," as captivating as the original as it brings transparency to the composition that stands apart from the Miles Davis version. On "Monk's Mood" Berenson takes a respectful approach without copying the mannerisms of Monk. The duo achieve a very different character, melodic but idiosyncratic and fitting. "The Whopper" is an insightful take on the Pat Metheny tune, clear-eyed, but retaining the dreaminess of the original. It's a risk to take on over-recorded standards and give them new life. A case in point is the Rodgers and Hart show tune "When or Where," recorded by well over a hundred artists from Duke Ellington to Dion and the Belmonts. Berenson and Barnum close Stringent and Sempiternal with a version beautiful in its simplicity.
Berenson and Barnum are no less thought-provoking with this material than on their plugged-in and unconventional Penumbra (Dream Play Records, 2017). A genuinely collaborative duo, they bring an attractively enigmatic quality to familiar compositions. They neither paraphrase the standards nor try to pull the rug out from under them. Stringent and Sempiternal is a beautiful recording.
Track Listing
Nefertiti; Wrong Is Right; Lament; The Whopper; Dance of the Infidels; Monk's Mood; Solar; Speak Like a Child; Epistrophy; Where or When.
Personnel
Adam Berenson
synthesizerAdam Berenson: piano; Scott Barnum: bass.
Album information
Title: Stringent and Sempiternal | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Dream Play Records
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About Adam Berenson
Instrument: Synthesizer
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