By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Conversations
Larry
Koonse started to play guitar at age 7, and was only 15 when he recorded his
first jazz album with his father, Dave, also a guitarist (Father and Son Jazz Guitars). I covered one of their more recent
collaborations several years back — Dialogue of the Heart — which led to
infrequent but always engaging correspondence with Larry.
He sent along a discography
of his other releases — there are dozens — and I’ve made it a point to catch up
with as many as possible. He’s a master of his instrument, and one of my
favorite artists.
Conversations, a duet with
pianist David Roitstein, is one of Koonse’s newest releases. He and Roitstein
composed six of the 10 tracks; the others come from Darek Oleszkiewizk (bassist
on many of Koonse’s albums), Lea Freire, Antonio Carlos Jobim (“Luiza”) and
Thelonious Monk (“Think of One”).
Jazz can swing; it can be joyous; it can be beautiful. Occasionally, it can be all of these things at the same time. On this album, Koonse and Roitstein have achieved that pinnacle.
Jazz can swing; it can be joyous; it can be beautiful. Occasionally, it can be all of these things at the same time. On this album, Koonse and Roitstein have achieved that pinnacle.
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