Don Byron and Aruan Ortiz: Random Dances and (A)tonalities

Once projected to be the darling new voice of the clarinet, Don Byron has been doing a “Where’s Waldo” the past decade. He comes back with pianist Aruan Ortiz playing both rich clarinet and warm tenor on this intimate collection of jazzy sonatas. The two actually take on the classical songbook with a lovely clarinet on Bach’s “Violin Partita No. 1” and a soft “Musica Callada: Book 1, V.” and gets splashy and free with Ortiz for the pianist’s “Arabesques of a Geometrical Rose (Spring). A breathy tenor for Ellington’s “Black and Tan Fantasy” is cozy and parlor perfect while creating long shadows on ”Numbers.” His “Joe Btfsplk” is a quirky collection of ideas, and the two give some rich unison lines for Geri Allen’s “Dolphy’s Dance.” Unassuming and unpretentious.

www.intaktrec.ch

Leave a Reply