Joe Lovano ~ Saxophonist & Composer

We did this live in Paris, in a studio, playing totally free with no themes in mind. Except for the last tune, Autumn in New York, everything is totally improvised. We recorded in real time, direct to two track so what you get here is exactly what we recorded, in sequence.

I’d never done this before so it was a real learning experience. Aldo and I both played with a concert performance attitude. When we played, it all happened very organically, the themes, tempos, feeling, each piece suggested the next, in contrast, and in melody, harmony and rhythm.

Also is one of the very few European musicians who plays beyond category. He is very expressive and has a beautiful sense of song and intensity within his concept, a very poetic musician. Also is also a joy to play with, in whatever kind of setting. He’s a very hard swinging drummer, in a Jazz sense, and a very flowing folk music player in another sense. He’s played with Keith Jarrett and Don Cherry and Steve Lacy and played as part of the Connectionwhen it premiered in Paris. Music is his life.

" …melody is never far from the forefront here, thanks to Lovano’s deep lyricism and Romano’s easygoing pulse; even their most… read more" " …melody is never far from the forefront here, thanks to Lovano’s deep lyricism and Romano’s easygoing pulse; even their most abstract excursions, like a bristling Dragons Are, seem rooted in song. Drawing equally from the lexicon of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, Lovano strikes an imploring chord that suffuses the length of the album. Read the entire review here" Nate Chinen, Jazz Times