Benoit Delbecq and Fred Hersch Double Trio, Fun House

A double trio? Oh, yeas. Two pianists (Benoit Delbecq and Fred Hersch), two bassists (Jean-Jaques Avenel and Mark Helias), two drummers (Steve Arguelles and Gerry Hemingway, with Steve also on live electronics), everybody in an out zone, interacting in really nice ways. The album is Fun House (Songlines 1600-2). It's a good one.

Delbecq plays prepared piano for much of the time; Hersch the standard pianoforte. The contrast and intertwining of those two sounds and what the pianists are doing is a high note of the whole project, but intertwining of all with all is at a very high level, the bassists, the drummers, everybody is paying attention and bringing some wonderful blends to the situation.

This is abstract, ever modulating, pan-tonal, extra-tonal comp-improv with a great sensitivity to the sound-sculptural, tone-sound mix. It combines advanced "jazz" and advanced "new music" with a bracing success. And then the live electronics part is about real-time sampling, so that gives another dimension to it all. The configurations ever shift--in more or less every conceivable combination.

It is a very musical result. Extraordinary sonics. Thoughtful composed motives. Improvisational excellence. Beautiful immediacy. And it is different enough that you wont find that you repeat yourself, because there is nothing quite like this one. Get it!