Jazz pianists rarely record entire sessions with a drummer and no bassist, but
Phillip Strange's strong left hand make a bassist superfluous in his excursions with drummer Larry Marshall, with whom he had worked for five years, but never in a duo setting. This remarkable date includes
Strange's impressive compositions, along with several from the jazz canon and standards from the Great American Songbook, all selected and improvised without preplanning.
Nat Adderley's "The Old Country" is transformed into a dark, yet richly textured setting, while his deliciously off-center approach to
Paul Desmond's "Take Five" is equally tense.
Richard Rodgers' "Have You Met Miss Jones?" starts off as a fairly straight-ahead post-bop arrangement, yet
Strange and Marshall break its shackles to take it much farther than most musicians. His lovely "Absinthe" suggests the influence of French impressionists like
Maurice Ravel at times, yet it retains a sense of mystery throughout its eight minutes. Marshall's drumming is right on the money on every track, frequently ducking out, often sticking primarily to cymbals and never overplaying. This intriguing recording should boost the careers of both
Phillip Strange and Larry Marshall. ~ Ken Dryden