Chick Corea & Stefano Bollani-Orvieto (2011)
Track Listings
1. Part I. Orvieto Improvisation No. 1
2. Portrait In Black And White
3. If I Should Lose You
4. Doralice
5. Jitterbug Waltz
6. A Valsa da Paula
7. Part II. Orvieto Improvisation No. 2 / Nardis
8. Este Seu Olhar
9. Darn That Dream
10. Tirititran
11. Armando's Rhumba
12. Blues In F
Chick Corea (b. 1941) and Stefano Bollani (b. 1972), the master and the new talent, the American of Sicilian and Spanish descent on one piano, the Italian from Tuscany on the other piano, recorded live in concert at Umbria Jazz Winter in Orvieto, on December 30, 2010.
A travel into jazz in 75 minutes, from free improvised moments to well-know standards, from original compositions to the blues. Excluding two free improvisations (Orvieto Improvisation N.1 and Orvieto Improvisation N.2) that work as introductory pieces, tempi are mostly fast. Still, there is a sort of laidback approach, with the music coming out very naturally, without any apparent effort. Both pianists have huge technical abilities, yet their virtuosity is here always focused to just one goal, produce beautiful, lyrical, stylish and sophisticated as well as entertaining music, and never as a show off to impress the listener. If you are after special effects and keyboards on fire, you will be disappointed. If you are after jazz piano music to discover and enjoy more and more at every listening session, then this work should definitely deserve your attention.
The recording quality is excellent as usual from ECM. Not only the two pianos, but all noises during the concert were recorded as well. The first time I was listening this CD on my hi-fi system at a realistic volume I was thinking someone was punching the floor of my apartment from downstairs... luckily that was just the pianists stomping their feet on the stage. Impressing indeed.
