Fonnesbaek & Kauflin: Synesthesia

Thomas Fonnesbaek is a Danish jazz bassist with three duo albums to his credit. Here he teams with American piano virtuoso Justin Kauflin on his new release titled Synesthesia. With just two instruments, in this case double bass and piano, there is always a danger of the music becoming to minimalistic but those pitfalls are avoided as these players are tremendous musicians playing off the other with elegance and pizazz.

Chiming bass and swirls of piano begin the title track as the music ebbs and flows along a nice melody. The duo really get their groove on picking up each other’s pace adeptly showing their considerable skills. “Lost� begins in a serene and wistful setting before the playing becomes much more invigorated with wonderful bass and piano solos. The Cole Porter tune “It’s All Right With Me�, one of three covers, is a wonderful rendition with just the right amount of nostalgia and modern creativity. The Beatles’ classic “For No One� is another nice surprise, a slow paced reimagining brimming with superb piano work and understated bass. Oscar Peterson’s “Nigerian Marketplace� highlights the duo’s supreme elegance, a showcase for both player’s enchanting arrangement. Fonnesbaek’s bass solo is absolutely masterful.

Synesthesia is an excellent jazz album, very fluid and melodic with exceptional performances from both musicians. Highly recommended.

Track Listing:
1. Synesthesia (5:33)
2. Lost (5:04)
3. It’s All Right With Me (6:25)
4. For No One (5:37)
5. Panic Attack (4:54)
6. Waiting (5:29)
7. Semiosis (5:37)
8. Nigerian Marketplace (7:48)
9. Skybound (4:37)

Added: May 18th 2018
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Label's Official Site
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Language: english

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