Violin Memory

5-STARS They have known each other for a long time, the American guitarist John Stowell and his compatriot Dave Glenn, the latter a trombonist. The two musicians are no longer the youngest, Stowell was born in 1950, Glenn in 1951, and both can look back on long careers on stage and in the classroom. Over the years they have repeatedly come together as a duo, a duo with a highly unusual line-up that has developed a very personal, chamber music-like approach. This is not about sporting exploits, but about the intensity of the dialogue that the two have with each other. This dialogue is reflected in interwoven lines that are extremely melodically appealing. On this album, the chamber music side of this magical music is underlined by the participation of a string quartet. However, and this is the only - small - objection that one would like to raise, the strings and the two protagonists do not play together. Dave Glenn has arranged a selection of Stowell's compositions for the quartet (and contributed one or two numbers himself). The separately recorded string pieces now serve as interludes that punctuate the sequence of the duo numbers. This expands the sound spectrum of this fascinating music, which constantly oscillates between jazz and classical.