Live From New York

Andy LaVerne and John Abercrombie have worked together a number of times over two-plus decades when they're not leading their own respective bands. They have recorded together both as a duo and in a quartet and developed a musical ESP, as this concert recorded at Baruch College in the spring of 2010 demonstrates. A prolific composer, LaVerne contributed several originals, highlighted by the intricate "Impromptwo," the magical ballad "Portrait in Jazz," and the phenomenal "Undercurrent" (the latter two quickly revealing Bill Evans' influence, while the song titles just happen to be two of Evans' early landmark albums). It is easy to imagine Bill Evans and Jim Hall together when hearing Abercrombie and LaVerne playing the guitarist's lively jazz waltz "BW" and his equally enjoyable "Short Stuff." Toss in a trio of familiar standards and it is clear that Andy LaVerne and John Abercrombie can hold their own when compared to any jazz piano/guitar duo.