Proving once again that musical preconceptions are
worthless, comes Prelude, an album
featuring an unlikely duo combining trumpet and guitar. Who would imagine that
such a duo could hold an audience’s attention over the whole of an album? So
perhaps it isn’t surprising that given that kind of preconception, it took me
four months to give this January release a listen. The trouble is that when your
duo combines a trumpeter as fine as Airelle Besson with a sensitive guitarist like
Nelson Veras, preconceptions are meaningless, and in this case they
unreasonably kept the album on the shelf gathering dust.
Photo credit: Airellebesson.com
Fine musical talent in almost any combination can be
successful. You need to listen to the product to make any sort of adequate
judgment, and listening to the dozen tracks laid down by Besson and Veras will
very quickly demonstrate that truth. Prelude
is filled with gorgeous music. Besson’s playing is often magical and Veras
works hard to keep that magic front and center. These are artists that
complement each other completely.
Whether they are reinvigorating a classic like “Body and
Soul” or taking on an original composition like Veras’ “Vertiges,” they have an
infectious passion for the strong melodic line. Theirs is music you want to
listen to carefully as they develop and play with musical ideas. The
atmospheric treatment of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “O Grande Amor” is a further
case in point.
The lion’s share of the album, however, is made up of Besson
originals. A fine composer, Besson’s compositions are as high in quality as her
work on the trumpet. The duo opens the album with her “Ma Ion,”which she
introduces with a haunting solo, and then moves on to the quirky Latin rhythms
of “Pouki Pouki.” “Neige,” “Full Moon in K,” and “Lulea’s Sunset” are programmatic
pieces with cleverly evocative themes. “Virgule” is an improvised piece for
Besson, and “Birsay” and “Time to Say Goodbye” round out the album.
Prelude is very
convincing proof that music doesn’t have to be the same old same old to make
for some fine listening.
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