Neither the bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson nor the pianist Mulgrew Miller are with us on earth anymore. This collection of concert recordings from July 15, 2000 shows us what we are missing. Taken from the North Sea Jazz Festival, the nine songs on these two discs are the apotheosis if sophisticated swing and interplay.
The fact is, there is an obvious third person on this collection of duets, namely Duke Ellington. 5 of the songs are associated with him, and another one (“Autumn Leaves”) was recorded by the Duke. The interplay between these two, as they stretch out over a playful “Take the ‘A’ Train,” or recline on “Mood Indigo” is almost evidence for mental telepathy. They deliver an exotic intro to “Caravan” that takes you down mysterious souks, while “Sophisticated Lady” is both as gentle and gracious as The Queen herself. A read of Benny Golson’s “Whisper Not’ is subtle and suave in its shadowy swing, and the team bops with the best on a nimble “All The Things You Are.”
The two weave in and out of each other like long time dance partners, always knowing when to lead and when to follow, as they relax on ”In My Solitude” and glide on “I’m Old Fashioned.” Even when one takes the spotlight, the other is always there, sometimes with just a dash of a thin brush stroke, or a Morse Code dot. This is why you fell in love with jazz!
Storyville Records