Record date: December 20, 1987
The last 1987 recording by Mal was a live recording in Lausanne, Switzerland. Another piano duet, but this one was to be his last on record. This time it’s Swiss piano player René Bottlang. Bottlang has recorded mostly as a leader himself but also made an appearance next to Charlie Haden. His style is much influenced by Keith Jarrett. It definitely has it’s moments but it’s a little too smooth here and there for me. But Bottlang is also a very different pianist than Yamashita or Tchangodei which makes it another interesting listening experience. Mal always picks up a little from what the other is doing in a duet which means you hear another side of him.
The album consists of two long suites. Some parts are pretty abstract, others more melodic with moments of absolute beauty. Again, this really isn’t a battle or competition. Just like the other piano duets it’s mainly about feeling what the other is playing and try to interact with it or support it. Mal’s playing on his own Soliloquy is such impressive with it’s deep emotional load and feeling. Sometimes he just hits all the right notes, and not a single wrong one. The sudden merge into Evidence reflects his sense of humor. It’s creative music with enough variety in playing but it fails to keep your attention for the full set. The live experience must have been pretty impressive but on cd it all just goes on and on.
Not bad at all but just not that interesting. This music is easy to obtain both in it’s original release as the reissue that I have myself.
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