Tangos y Serenatas is a disc featuring the talents of saxophonist
Alan Durst paired with acoustic guitarist Corey Whitehead in a program of mostly new works (
Astor Piazzolla's suite Histoire du Tango is the only exception).
Durst and Whitehead teamed up at California State University at Fresno in 2003 and have played as a team ever since. One might not automatically think saxophone and guitar would make for a particularly idiomatic combination, but whether it is or not,
Durst and Whitehead's dedication and teamwork make it so. Throughout Tangos y Serenatas,
Durst maintains a nice variability of tone; in most instances, he aims somewhere in between the "French school" saxophone sound -- with its light and even vibrato -- and the leaner, more nasal tone favored by jazz saxophonists; sometimes Durst's playing is a little wry, in the manner of
Paul Desmond. The notes are not consistently clear as to the instruments employed per piece, so here's the breakdown; the works by Benjamin Boone, Mark Carlson,
Apostolos Paraskevas are played on alto, and those by Michael Bard,
Piazzolla, Adrienne Albert, and Kenneth Froelich are heard on soprano.
Classically trained saxophonists are rather wanting in opportunities to perform, given the preponderance of their instrument in jazz and the relative lack of strong solo pieces for recitals. The substitution of the guitar for the usual piano is both novel and euphonious, as the shorter decay time of the guitar gives the saxophonist plenty of room to fill out the music and to stand a bit more prominently within it. While there is more than a little jazz in some of the compositions here -- all quite listener friendly though none, save the
Piazzolla, are nostalgic -- this disc will be something conservatory-level saxophone players will want to seek out, and after hearing it, the next step very well might be to find a guitarist. Centaur's recording is a tad distant, but every note from both instruments can be heard, and overall it is a very enjoyable recital.