Customer Reviews

Duet

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I heard Sylvain Luc in Paris recently and was astounded by his extraordinary instrumental mastery and his remarkable interpretations of jazz and pop classics that are completely accessible and entirely fresh. Birelli has been a guitar god since his prodigious youth and has come a long way since his early days of channeling Django--in fact his most recent outings on disc have included a Sinatra Tribute on which he sings ( to great effect) as well as an album devoted to standards. (and to understand how complete a player he is, check out his work with the late-great Jaco Pastorious for some of the wildest Jazz/Rock jamming you could ever hope for.) On this duet disc, the styles of these two masters are different enough to provide a rich and compatible contrast- and their technical wizardry never interferes with the melodic lines and simple harmonies of the tunes. Time after Time and Isn't She Lovely are perfect examples of how they retain the simple structure of a familiar song while adding layers of improvisational dynamics and melodic invention to achieve an exciting blend of stimulating sound. This album is already one of my all time favorite guitar duo sessions.

Another amazing performance featuring Bireli Lagrene, in my opinion one of the most exciting jazz guitarist. As an amateur guitarist myself, all of Bireli's work is source of ideas and inspiration. This CD also gives the opportunity to know a guitarist named Sylvain Luc, famous in France for being the side man of all the biggest name on the French scene. His technique is also impressing, admirably completing Bireli's style. He however can't be qualified as "straight" jazz guitarist, but more as a multi-talent, versatile personality. The choice of the songs is interesting, combining jazz standards and adaptation of popular music. I found especially remarkable the adaptation of a French song by George Brassens called "les amoureux des bancs publics" which in the original version is as far to a jazz song as possible, and which becomes here a very sensitive jazz ballad.

I can't go more that a few days without listening to a cut from this CD. Sylvain Luc brings his skills as a Jaco style bass player to the guitar; adding with his incredible musical taste and exquisite guitar techniques - his performance RANKS AS THE BEST accompaniment in a 2 guitar grouping (Guitarists must hear him comp!!!). AND this doesnt even speak to his terrific soloing. America needs to see and hear Sylvain Luc.
And for those who dont know Bireli Lagrene is arguably the best jazz guitarist in our world today.

I have followed Bireli Lagrène since 1987 when Blue Note records released the debut CD "Inferno." Then "Foreign Affairs" came out the following year, and "Acoustic Moments" and "Standards" followed in 1991 and 1992 respectively. Alas he was dropped by the label because he was no Jazz Guitar Madonna (well he "was" but the label didn't see it that way).

The music on this particular CD is acoustically incredible because of the skill in the playing of the musicians. I ask that one and all buy this CD. The interpretation of tunes by Stevie Wonder, Cyndy Lauper, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and a throwback to "Inferno" Inferno the track "Made In France" will have you searching the cut-out bins for all Lagrène releases.

Please listen to the second track, "Douce Ambiance" and all of the elements of finesse and inherent skills of Lagrène and Sylvain Luc will be known.

First time I saw and heard Sylvain Luc in the Mezzo Channel I was amazed with his mix between extreme technique and great musicality. This guy is one of a kind! I never knew Biréli before this album...also a great musician! I recomend this album to anyone who enjoys being enchanted by the beautiful melodies of two guitars singing!

After hearing Isn't She Lovely on a local jazz station, I went in search of Duet. I popped the disc into my computer at work and ended up staring at the computer for many minutes, dumbfounded. Where had Bireli Lagrene and Sylvain Luc been? How had I missed them? An amazing journey took place as I listened to more of their music, and later found terrific video footage of them playing with many other artists that I had, well, forgotten about for years. So much for listening to classical music all of the time!

Although Time after Time and Isn't She Lovely are perhaps some of the best renditions of the popular (and for good reason) songs ever produced, every song is a gem, and I am astonished every time I hear Douce Ambience with its percussive, rhythmic interpretation, or the quiet beauty of Blackbird. Made in France, a Lagrene composition, has me holding my breath, wondering how these impossibly long runs are still perfectly phrased, the musicians seeming to play together telepathically. La Ballade Irlandaise is so lovely I long to get married again just so I can dance to it at my wedding. Like another reviewer has said "I can't go more than a few days without listening to a track from Duet."

This CD is the embodiment of joie de vivre, and I have to thank the amazingly talented and original Sylvain Luc, and the musician I now consider the finest jazz guitarist alive, Bireli Lagrene, not only for producing this bit of transcendent music, but for reminding me how much I love jazz, I love jazz guitar, and how much joy there can be had doing something you love.

Dear Amazon,

I do not own the album yet, I am going to buy it in the nearest future - I was won over by the lovely rendition of "Isn't She Lovely", which was played to me by a friend.

Please pardon me for the outburst, but Django Reinhardt was NOT FRENCH. He was a Belgian Roma ("Gypsy"). These distinctions may seem trivial to you, but only if you yourself have never been in a similar situation.

Thanks.

A nice compilation of both pop, jazz standards and well known french tunes. Contains also original compositions,excellent played by 2 masters of the guitar. Quote:"There`s only one thing that`s better than a classical guitar, and that is 2 classical guitars."(Chopin.)

Great artists of the world. The cd has a lot of percussive playing in it. I am a big fan of theirs, They always trying new ways to play . This is one. I still prefer to put on their other cd's and listen to those. A must have for collectors and student of jazz,but not an easy listening. but do not take my word. Amazon lets you listen. I would not sell my copy.

This is a great jazz guitar duo set and been out for a while as i've had it for a few years. However, for anyone just stepping into the pool here with these guys and their many fellow Gypsy players it is a good place to start as it gives you the base of recognizable melodies where you can tell how accurate their runs and chording are and then take it from there on not so familiar melodies with the Gypsy jazz that they do on other and newer recordings. I saw them play together and separately in Montruex in the Stravinsky the big hall in what was the Gypsy and Friends tour and will never forget how brilliant and the virtuosity displayed that night as they took a round robin turns in a circle of spotlighting with their fellow Gypsy jazz players, but Bireli held the reins of the beast and no one could stand in close proximity to this giant of the guitar on the stage (Sylvain Luc, Tchavolo Schmitt, The Rosenbergs, Angelo Debarre, etc.) and the mostly French audience had just lost the threads of composure and were just screaming and pounding of feet and heads and hands and "Bravo, Bravo" heard throughout the hall like the baddest of all the lions (Bireli) was just unleashed into the hall and had his pick of the "weakest baboon" of them all, the audience, Claude Nobbs, the other players, and were willfully eaten up by the amazing talent of Bireli and Sylvain Luc. A tremendous place to start listening to this music is this recording and then on to the Bireli and Gypsy Project DVDs and CDS.