Tom Tallitsch keeps things on an even keel and uncomplicated with his new CD Duality. The only instruments that you hear on the entire recording are the tenor saxophone of Tallitsch and the acoustic guitar of Dave Manley. Thus, the title Duality sums up what this album is. Even without words, the title implies that there is some duality in everyday life; at least it did for me when I stopped to think about what other meaning it could have related to the music and our human tendencies.
Tallitsch gives 50% of his own compositions then the rest are dedicated to some heavyweights in the world of music, such as Wayne Shorter and Stevie Wonder. Not bad company to keep that is for sure. Shorter and Wonder are worlds apart yet the artist does manage to make the connection to his own realm and visions in a musical sense by interpreting the honored musicians compositions with doses of smooth jazz that melt away the tension of a hard day away in an instant. This is music to relax in front of warm fire with or just to kick back and empty your mind and let the soulfulness of each note permeate your being; it is wonderful if you can let it happen.
This was a very enjoyable CD and its smooth sailing all the way from the beginning of the journey until the end. I realize that the simplification of complex music is not easy to execute and Tallitsch does a nice job of taking each composition and stripping it down to its bare bones, no bass, percussion, or keyboards are used, and giving you a great listening experience through some nice sax and guitar playing. Although the music you will hear is simplistic, it is full-bodied and played with sensitivity to the original versions of tracks while equal attention is paid to the detail and ambiance, this factor also applies to the four original tracks. The guitar and sax unify their sound with colorful give and take interplay, at times prolifically, making it very apparent that they were the only two instruments needed for this recording. Although the word Duality means that there are two sides to the coin, or another dimension right alongside the one we are in-there was one consistent element that made this a strong presentation, the consistency displayed in every track.
Tracks: Big Sky, Propellerhead, Falling Grace, Visions, Coming Around, Lulu's Back In Town, Infant Eyes, Mablestates
JazzReview.com
