An Enchanting Duo at Rocco’s

The piano and the guitar share many characteristics that are especially applicable to jazz. Each can be effective as a single-line solo instrument, a harmonic instrument and a rhythm instrument. Given that compatibility, it’s a bit surprising that the duo is not more frequently heard as a jazz chamber ensemble.

The lovely performance by pianist Alan Pasqua and guitarist Larry Koonse at Rocco’s on Tuesday night was a convincing display of what can happen when these two highly compatible instruments are brought together by a pair of first-rate artists.

Performing before an entranced audience, Pasqua and Koonse took a relaxed but craftsmanlike approach. Quietly exchanging thoughts between numbers about what to play next, they frequently started with a solo by one or the other, gradually allowing the piece to coalesce through fragments of melody and harmony. As the tunes unfolded, they communicated by various means--body language, eye contact--to signal each other through spontaneous shifts of rhythm and harmony.

The music, for the most part, consisted of songs with attractive harmonies--”All the Things You Are,” “You Must Believe in Spring,” “In Love in Vain,” among others--offered with the panoply of instrumental capabilities. At times, the rhythm was only implied, with Pasqua and Koonse darting back and forth on the off-beats. At other times, Pasqua played an accompaniment role by generating a walking bass line in his left hand, with Koonse occasionally returning the favor with brisk strumming.

Moments of musical wit--a Baroque-like closing for “Whisper Not”--enhanced the set.

It was, by any measure, a superb performance, and one that deserves repeating. In the hands of Pasqua and Koonse, the combination of piano and guitar is a welcome addition to the lexicon of jazz chamber ensembles.