''The Art of Conversation'' is a studio album by English jazz bassist

Dave Holland David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His extensive discography r ...

and American jazz pianist

Kenny Barron Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Biography Born in Philadel ...

. The record was released via the

Impulse! Records Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positi ...

label on October 14, 2014. The album contains 10 compositions: a mix of jazz standards and original tunes. The

Jazz Journalists Association The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) is an international organization of all types of media professionals who document, promulgate, or appreciate jazz. As of 2016, it has approximately 250 members, including professional journalists, students, ind ...

(JJA) recognized the record as the Record of the Year 2014. Holland and Barron collaborated again in 2020, for their album '' Without Deception''.

Reception

Fred Kaplan writing for ''

Stereophile ''Stereophile'' is a monthly American audiophile magazine which reviews high-end audio equipment, such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and audio-related news. History Founded in 1962 by J. Gordon Holt. ''Stereophile'' is the highest-circulation ...

'' noted, "The duet may be the most challenging form of jazz. Both musicians are on, all the time; there's no place to coast or hide. In a sense, this can be liberating. Pianists, say, can switch from melody to harmony to extended improvisation without worrying about whether the sax or trumpet will get in the way. But they'd better have something interesting to say, or the experiment in freedom will soon turn lame. Ditto for bass players: they can run scales or arpeggios for a while, but if that's all they can do, they're exposed as one-dimensional. Pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Dave Holland have massive chops, and a lot to say, so their new duet album, The Art of Conversation (on the revived Impulse! label) is everything the title suggests". Shaun Brady of ''

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of growth ...

'' stated, "There are conversations meant solely for the ears of those involved, full of jocular camaraderie and inside references. And then there are those designed to be overheard, where the dialogue is meant to engage and enlighten anyone who is listening in as well as the speakers themselves. With a musical relationship dating back nearly three decades, pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Dave Holland could certainly engage in the former, but The Art of Conversation is a vivid example of the latter. These 10 tracks all showcase the profound mastery of two artists who share an easy rapport and elegantly restrained expressiveness". E. E. Bradman of ''

Bass Player A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low bra ...

'' commented "This perfectly titled set of conversations is a sumptuous addition to the great canon of bass-and-piano duets, of which the recently departed Charlie Haden was a master. Without drums, you can hear the strength, idiosyncrasy, and tone of Holland’s masterful support, improvisation, and style".

Track listing

Personnel

Primary artists *Kenny Barron – piano, producer *Dave Holland – double bass, producer Production *Marielle Costosèque – artwork *Karen Kennedy – co-producer *Louise Holland – co-producer *Patrice Beauséjour – cover *Farida Bachir – executive producer, art direction *John Murph – liner notes *Greg Calbi – mastering *Sylvain Gripoix – photography *Aki Nishimura – recording *James Farber – recording, mixing *Jean-Philippe Allard – supervising

Chart performance

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Art of Conversation 2014 albums Dave Holland albums Kenny Barron albums Impulse! Records albums