Search - Andrew Rathbun & George Colligan :: Renderings: The Art Of The Duo

These 2 gentlemen, saxophonist Andrew Rathbun and pianist George Colligan are definitely up to the challenge that the art of the duo presents. Their instrumental abilities are super in the classic sense, meaning passionate but controlled and disciplined, never going over the top. The material they have chosen ranges from an original suite written for Wayne Shorter that evokes the many moods reminiscent of his compositions, to a piece by Ravel dedicated to Haydn. But the center-piece of the CD are the several selections from Musica Callada, a book of compositions by the Spanish composer Federico Mompou. Rahtbun and Colligan play Mompou's music in such a way that I cannot discern the line between what is improvised and what is written, which is one of the highest ideals an improviser strives for.