JAZZ REVIEWS : Barron + Morgan = A Night to Remember at Hyatt

Not only are saxophonist Frank Morgan and pianist Kenny Barron two of the jazz world’s most respected Expressionists, but each has loads of experience playing in duos. Barron can be heard interacting with Stan Getz on the late alto man’s recently released “People Time,” a two-CD set recorded live in France. On his own 1989 “Mood Indigo,” Morgan pairs off with keyboardist George Cables, and Morgan’s upcoming album is a series of duets with a host of fellow musicians, including Barron.

So it seemed natural to bring these guys together to let them share their thoughts live, as they did Friday evening in the outdoor amphitheatre at the Hyatt Newporter.

It was as much a dialogue as a concert. The format of the discussion was familiar enough: tunes from Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, as well as such standards as “You’ve Changed” and “All the Things You Are.” Morgan and Barron sounded themes and exchanged improvisations; their clairvoyant interplay and individual enthusiasm lifted the performance out of the ordinary.

One of the mellowest cats on the scene these days, Morgan seemed especially relaxed in the duo setting. He seldom played a theme line straight, choosing instead to run it by in a flurry of sculpted notes, or simply to state a few suggestive tones. His sound in the space of a chorus could change from sharp-edged and intense to warm and round.

He was at his best during improvs, matching sleek, racy lines with more melodic passages, all decorated with warbles, chirps and whistles. Phrases often suggested the ones that would follow, adding a narrative sense to the proceedings. Morgan was particularly sensual during “Embraceable You,” coaxing each note out with care and consideration. At the end of every solo, he flashed the crowd the peace sign.

Barron supplied support that was almost orchestral-rich, tracking time and basslines with his left hand while his right hand splashed chords around as if they were paint. Occasionally, he echoed Morgan’s phrases or drew them to logical conclusions. Often, he added smart lines of his own to the sax solos. He cracked open the be-bop standard “Now’s the Time” with some rollicking boogie-woogie from the lower range of his instrument.

He seemed to accelerate into his own improvisations, enriching his chordal base while beginning his own narratives. He introduced Monk-like dissonance even to the most melodic passages and capped dramatic, swirling phrases with understated blues references. His work on Duke Ellington’s “Warm Valley,” played solo, was notable for the spare bassline that supported strings of single-notes from his right hand.

The up-tempo pace of Gillespie’s “Night in Tunisia” saw the twosome at its most heated. Morgan referenced Charlie Parker with sparkling clean runs and birdcalls while Barron churned out long, intense sections backed by a cutting left hand.

They opened the second set with Davis’ “So What” and Morgan took the opportunity to quote from Cannonball Adderley’s solo from the original recording on Davis’ landmark “Kind of Blue” album. Barron worked a three-chord vamp to advantage, toying with its rhythm and spiking it with upper-register bursts. The duo’s exchange of phrases at the close of the number was exceptionally inspired.

A number of times during the evening the exuberant Morgan claimed that playing here with Barron was the closest he’d ever been to heaven. He should have been in our seats.