Listen & tracks

2 of 16 tracks have a preview · 10 works · 62:02

1 Goodby Michel Tony Gould 8:17
2 I Should Care Axel Stordahl 5:19
3 Some Other Time Leonard Bernstein 4:00
4 The Wind Russ Freeman 5:37
5 My Favourite Things Richard Rodgers 7:37
6 My Romance Richard Rodgers 7:24
7 The Old Country Curtis Lewis 5:52
8 River Story Peter Petrucci 5:47
9 Beija Flor Nelson Cavaquinho 7:04
10 When You Wake You Can See the Trees Tony Gould 5:05

Tony Gould joins with one of the most talented younger-generation guitarists and composers in Australia, Peter Petrucci. Together they play a mix of original pieces and works from the standard jazz repertoire.

Recorded over two days at the Move Studio in Eaglemont, the duo favours spontaneous interplay on standards and originals, including Gould’s tribute to Michel Petrucciani.

In the artist’s words

For a number of reasons this is a very special recording. Firstly it has given me the chance to play with one of the most talented younger generation guitarists/composers in Australia. Second, it allows for me an uncommonly long association with Move Records and Martin Wright to continue. And of course it is well known that Martin has in his beautiful recording studio one of the best pianos imaginable. (It’s a Yamaha by the way.)

The music you will hear is a mix of original pieces, some by Peter, some by me (Goodbye Michel was written in memory of the great pianist Michel Petrucciani), as well as some pieces from the standard jazz repertoire. Both of us love to play standards as well as our own works, not only because it makes a nice balance between old and new but also because it would be silly to discard altogether the great musical vehicles of the past, which of course lend themselves wonderfully to improvisation.

There is something else about this recording which you might like to know, and that is that the performances were not over-burdened with endless rehearsing and planning of arrangements. Of course we practised away from one another, and on the day decided to just see what happened by keeping our ears, our minds, and even our eyes open to what was happening musically. Is this not the spirit in which all spontaneous music making should be made?

We hope you like this music. It was recorded with great care and mutual respect.

— Tony Gould

Reviews

It is almost impossible to concentrate on the technical mastery of these songs because of the way the spirits and emotions are lifted into the realms of pure enjoyment.

— Michael Foster, Canberra Times

Much of Gould's appeal as a pianist lies in his infallible, sumptuous elegance and a touch to die for ... he is right in his element in these intimate settings. Add Petrucci's virtuosity and it's a delightful match. Witness the way they dance the light fantastic and work off each other

— Leon Gettler, The Age - Green Guide

an enjoyable mix of original pieces and standards. The performances are splendidly spontaneous

— New Classics, UK

beautifully recorded, the performances emphasise the delicate interaction between the two players as they accompany or create beautiful melodic lines over this collection of well crafted tunes ... This is music for savouring ... has sufficient depth to please even the most discerning of jazz listeners.

— Greg Fisher, Jazz Views

The playing standard is second to none and the songwriting is brilliant ... The simplicity of the arrangements and improvisation talents add greatly to the sound, which is a testament to the chemistry that is evident between these fine musicians.

— Stephen Green, Australian Music Biz

a lushly rendered and quite subtle modern jazz album.

— Craig Pearce, Drum Media

the musical dialogue comes straight from the heart ... this beautiful album is a recording of a wonderful meeting of musical hearts and minds - a meeting to experience and to savour.

— Mike Fuery, Border Jazz Club, Albury/Wodonga

Artists

Tony Gould

piano

Pianist and composer Tony Gould is one of Australia’s most respected musicians. His career has spanned jazz and other improvisatory forms as well as traditional and contemporary classical, and for decades he has stood at the forefront of music education in Australia.

Peter Petrucci

guitar

Peter Petrucci is a distinctive guitarist and composer, specialising in contemporary jazz and free improvisation.

Nat Adderley

composer

Nat Adderley's trumpet playing remains in the hard bop vein, but with an obvious knowledge of bebop. His solos are lyrical, often blazing in the upper register, and contain rapid-fire runs that could rival some of the best of his peers.

Leonard Bernstein

composer

Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) was an American composer, conductor and pianist whose Broadway scores, concert works and tireless advocacy reshaped how wide audiences meet classical music.

Sammy Cahn

composer

Sammy Cahn wrote the romantic film and Broadway lyrics that became jazz standards, from Let It Snow to Come Fly with Me and I Fall in Love Too Easily. His words still give singers and pianists room to swing and linger.

Russ Freeman

composer

Russ Freeman took up the guitar at age 14. He was early on attracted to jazz players such as George Benson as well as pop greats like the Beatles and James Taylor.

Lorenz Hart

composer

Lorenz Hart's lyrics for Rodgers and Hart still sit at the heart of the jazz and cabaret songbook: witty, conversational, and edged with a rueful tenderness that singers and players keep returning to.

Richard Rodgers

composer

Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) was an American composer of musical theatre whose songs became standards of the twentieth-century stage and screen. Over five decades he wrote more than nine hundred songs and dozens of Broadway musicals.