2001 · Album
In Montreal
Recorded 1989, Montreal International Jazz Festival · ECM Records · Produced by Manfred Eicher
Two Voices, One Montreal Night
Haden shares the stage with a restless partner and lets the duo conversation carry the evening.
Recorded live in 1989 at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, this set captures Charlie Haden in a duo setting, which he has pursued often across his career. His partner is Egberto Gismonti, who moves between piano and guitar and brings a fluid, unpredictable sensibility to the pairing. Haden's bass stays anchored and warm, giving Gismonti room to wander.
What makes the record work is the back-and-forth. The two players trade lines and pick up each other's ideas, and the pieces feel conversational rather than arranged. Haden's tone is full and unhurried, and Gismonti's touch on both instruments keeps the textures shifting. Nothing here is showy for its own sake; the focus stays on the dialogue.
The album came out on ECM Records in 2001, more than a decade after the concert, and AllMusic reviewer David R. Adler called it a fine addition to Haden's duo work. It is not the first place to start with Haden, but it is a solid listen for anyone interested in his more intimate side or in Gismonti's playing.
Who's playing
Charlie Hadendouble bass
Egberto Gismontiguitar
