A wonderful pairing of talents – the moody, enigmatic piano of
Ran Blake – and the sharp-toned alto of
Anthony Braxton! The set's a sublime piano/sax duet to match similar experiments by Mal Waldron and Marion Brown, or Archie Shepp and Dollar Brand – and it's an added plus for folks like us who dig the straighter side of
Braxton's playing – as the set's mostly built around jazz standards, which are put forth in these core, blocky, modernist modes by
Blake – then given a soulful finish on the top by
Braxton! Titles include "Four", "Soul Eyes", "Just Friends", "Round Midnight", and "Yardbird Suite".
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