Nothing beats scaring a listener from contemplating a record with just duos of drums and guitar. Let’s remember, however, the Miles Okazaki is also the guitarist for Jane Monheit, so he knows a little bit about melody and lyrics. He switches between electric and acoustic for this surprisingly accessible album with the deft drummer Dan Weiss, as they both take turns with compositions.
There are 8 tunes by Okazaki on his “The Memory Palace” , with a gorgeous solo acoustic of “Part I” leading into a jazzy “Part VII”, bluesy “Part IV” and funky “Part II”. Weiss also opens up his side entitled “Middlegame” with a nimble solo on “Part I”, creating a deep groove for Miles on “Part V” and adding atmosphere to the guitar effects on “Part VI”. Weiss’ ouch is deft during “Part II’ and supports Okazaki’s tensile tones for “Part III” . Nice mix of strings and stics.