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Inside
83 I Jazz
89 I Blues
93 I Beyond
97 I Historical
101 I Books
Stefano Bollani (left) and Chick Corea
Chick Corea/Stefano Bollani
Orvieto
ECM 2222
HHHH
Piano for two, a tricky format, is not one that
usually gets the blood racing. Where other
like-instrument pairings may feature axes
that have been personalized—a specific
horn or mouthpiece or reed or amplifier—
the piano duet features two identical instruments,
hence, to avoid homogenization,
the duplication has to be offset by strong
personalities.
No lack of that here. Chick Corea, of
course, is part of the grand legacy of piano
twosomes, dating back to his beloved late-
1970s duets with Herbie Hancock. It’s a setting
in which he’s totally comfortable and
at which he excels. He’s a hardcore romantic,
favoring the turbulent and the radiant,
but avoiding some of solipsistic excesses
of other high romantics, instead keeping
an avid ear open to what his partner offers.
Younger pianist Stefano Bollani brings a
beautiful melodic imagination and equally
responsive radarscope, as well as clear
reverence for Corea. Playing in tandem, for
instance on a delightful version of “Jitterbug
Waltz,” they’re astonishingly unified; here
the question isn’t really who’s doing what,
but how they’re doing it together without
getting in each other’s way. One offers a
phrase, the other picks it up, embellishes it,
gives it back. There’s very little of the kind
of playing-solo-at-the-same-time vibe that
one sometimes hears in piano duets.
Things are sunny here—Mediterranean,
Iberian, South American. (Orvieto marks
Corea’s return to ECM after a quarter century;
nothing Nordic here, purely warm-blooded.)
The program has a nice arc, moving from
open—but extremely telepathic—improvisations
through standards, originals and a
couple of Antonio Carlos Jobim tunes. The
aformentioned Fats Waller classic is neatly
contrasted with a very different treble-meter
piece, “A Valsa Da Paula,” by Bollani. The
second (of two) free improvisations morphs
seamlessly into an extended meditation on
Miles Davis’ “Nardis,” while the traditional
flamenco piece “Tirititran” features percussive
stomp and interior strut thumping.
Precisely recorded in concert at the Umbria
Jazz Winter Festival, the two pianists end
with a corporeal romp through Corea’s chestnut
“Armando’s Rhumba” and a more analytical
blues encore, at once bawdy, bright and
thoughtful.
—John Corbett
Orvieto: Orvieto Improvisation No. 1; Retrato Em Branco E Preto;
If I Should Lose You; Doralice; Jitterbug Waltz; A Valsa Da Paula;
Orvieto Improvisation No. 2; Nardis; Este Seu Olhar; Darn That
Dream; Tirititran; Armando’s Rhumba; Blues In F. (74:58)
Personnel: Chick Corea, Stefano Bollani, piano.
Ordering info: ecmrecords.com
DECEMBER 2011 DOWNBEAT 79