Octogenarian trumpeter and flugelhornist Enrico Rava is one of the longest-standing artists on the ECM roster, having recorded for the label since the ‘70s, and is generally acknowledged as the most important representative of Italian jazz. Readers of these pages have likely heard him in multiple settings, including his early 2022 trio recording with Andrew Cyrille and William Parker, Blues 2 Cecil. Pianist Fred Hersch is also a veteran of small combo, duo, and solo recordings. From a duo standpoint, he has worked with Anat Cohen, Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, Chris Potter, Avishai Cohen, and Miguel Zenon. Now we add Rava to that esteemed list.
The two found chemistry through a few dates played in Italy during 2021, deciding to record after that brief tour. As he did on the aforementioned trio recording, Rava plays flugelhorn exclusively here, delivering his clear, warm tones and natural flair for improvisation. Surely, you’ll hear soloing from each, but the salient aspect of this meeting is how they respond to each other while playing together throughout this program of standards and originals. The performances are mostly subtle and understated. You’re not likely to find the kind of swinging moments performed by the late Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller on their duet forays captured in 2021’s In Harmony. Nonetheless the two exhibit sterling interpretations and clever ways to inspire each other.
Opening with Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Retrato em Branco e Preto,” Hersch begins with pensive, melancholy notes after which Rava enters, at first whispering before stating the theme. Rava had recorded this one before in a duet with pianist Stefano Bollani on The Third Man. Here he changes the rhythm of the melody, rocking between two major notes as Hersch quietly ripples underneath until Rava extends the baton, Hersch then brightens it, returning it more closely to Jobim’s original lyricism, which in turn Rava adopts in his second sequence. The tone turns darker for the free piece entitled “Improvisation” before the two engage in more playful banter on “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You,” beginning in unison and then some call and response as Rava twists the melody and conveys emotion through his dynamics, which have more than an ample share of high-pitched flourishes.
Next is the title track from Kern and Hammerstein III, one that hearkens back to Sinatra singing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Hersch begins in tinkling mode with Rava tentatively engaging in the melody before delivering it more clearly two minutes in. He then presents a gorgeous phrase before going silent to hear Hersch’s response, which comes in the form of cascading notes that Rava in turn responds to with a flurry of warm phrases, punctuated with jabbing notes. Again, they exhibit the freedom to go explorative in their reading of a standard. Hersch’s oft-played “Child’s Song” takes it a bit further. After the first chorus, Rava improvises over a single note and while initially going along for the ride, Hersch then leaves Rava alone, allowing him to totally explore and turn the melody inside out with a flowing lyricism interrupted occasionally with signature flares. After Rava has had his say, Hersch makes his own elegant statement and the two finish the piece together. Rava’s composition, “The Trial,” has Hersch setting up a delicate intro for the flugelhornist’s melodic but brief turn.
The final two are Monk pieces, beginning with “Misterioso.” Hersch is certainly a more graceful pianist than the quirky, percussive Monk so the gentleness that both employ here is surprising in itself. Hersch offers bluesy chords that Rava picks up on. It gets more intricate and complex as they go, in that sense retaining Monk’s penchant for the unpredictable. Hersch concludes the album soloing alone on “Round Midnight,” as he did on his solo album, Thelonious, with a different reading here. Again, only careful listening will reveal Monk’s melody which begins to emerge more distinctly about halfway through. Like some of the others, there’s a sly, sneakiness to Hersch’s approach.
As one listens, the warm Rava has the role of an extrovert while the more detached, but ever-detailed Hersch is his introverted foil. They are a winning combination by any measure.
