Dave Zoller, Fred Hamilton - Between Us Cats

Dave Zoller / Fred Hamilton

Between Us Cats

dpz JAZZ

Dave Zoller, piano

Fred Hamilton, bass, acoustic and electric guitars

Hell, these two men even look alike; it's no wonder they get on so well on this selection. There's plenty to purr about here. After listening to Zoller's quartet and septet CD, this duo album is a bit like going from the sublime to the ridiculous, meaning of course, terrific. Off they go oodling through a set of half standards and half originals, and they must have had a wonderful time doing it. The intimacy of a duo album you can see them looking up from their instruments and grinning at each other when a passage works exceptionally well makes for the kind of Jazz that gives satisfaction to every true Jazz fan. Zoller is slightly, but only slightly, heavier on the keys on this set, and one suspects that Hamilton kept driving him to greater heights when they recorded. Brose's Tune (track 7) has a lovely groove, and the following track, the CD title, is where they get into turning brotherhood into mates for life. It seems a shame that musicians of this calibre are not as famous as they deserve to be. Glad to have it on my rack. Send me more, chums.

by Lawrence Brazier

More New Sounds