When risk-takers like
Chick Corea and
Pat Metheny fearlessly hurl themselves into a variety of musical situations, one cannot help but admire their sense of adventure. But at the same time, there is a lot to be said for playing with someone you have long enjoyed a strong rapport with -- and
Kenny Davern certainly enjoyed a strong rapport with the late pianist
Dick Wellstood. Recorded live at New York's Vineyard Theater in January 1984 -- only three years before
Wellstood's death --
Never in a Million Years finds the improvisers joining forces for a concert of mostly clarinet/piano duets. This time,
Davern sticks to the clarinet and doesn't play any soprano sax at all. Not many surprises occur, but the performances are predictably excellent -- and
Davern and
Wellstood are very much in sync on the usual swing repertoire (which includes "On the Sunny Side of the Street,"
Benny Goodman's "If Dreams Come True," and
Earl Hines' "Rosetta"). Although this concert was recorded in the '80s, the performances recall the swing era of the '30s and early '40s --
Davern and
Wellstood were never innovative, but they were always great at what they did. On a few occasions, one of the improvisers will lay out and give the other a chance to play by himself. That would be risky for lesser musicians, but for players of
Davern and
Wellstood's caliber, being occasionally unaccompanied is a good thing.
Davern is triumphant when he delivers an unaccompanied clarinet solo on
Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo," and
Wellstood is equally successful when he plays by himself on a six-minute
Ellington medley that unites "The Mooche" with "Birmingham Breakdown." But most of the time,
Davern and
Wellstood play together on this fine Dutch release. ~ Alex Henderson