Guitarist Doug MacDonald and bass player Harvey Newmark have worked together quite a lot over the years, with Harvey featuring in many of Doug’s different line-ups. Given that they have such an instinctive feel for each other, the idea came up of recording as a duo for the first time, with no other musicians involved. Here they have worked through a series of classic jazz numbers as well as some MacDonald originals, including the title cut which was originally composed for his big band. The result is a jazz album with loads of space within it, and with no-one else playing the two have to always be ready to support the other or take the lead. There is no room here for anyone to have a rest, as both instruments are always there, with nothing else to hide behind.
This means that for the most part the pair are working as a proper duo, sharing the workload, so even though Doug is often the melodic lead, that is only possible as Harvey is providing a contra melody as support. The warmth and grunty sustain of the double bass is a stark contrast to the reverb of the electric jazz guitar, and while the latter is sometime clinical, the former is warm and inviting, solid and robust. It is certainly intriguing to hear jazz being played in this format, and is an album which any lover of the genre will get a great deal from as it brings the listener in close to the musicians. A special mention must also be mentioned of David Williams who both mixed and mastered the session, as this is a wonderfully balanced set. Lovely.
Rating: 7/10
