Mats Gustafsson & David Stackenäs - Blues (Atavistic Records ALP163CD)

Performers:

Mats Gustafsson (baritone saxophone)
David Stackenäs (acoustic guitar)

Tracklist:

1. (00:07:59) Shave 'Em Wet (To Memphis Minnie)
2. (00:06:02) Bumble Bee Blues (To Ake Hodell)
3. (00:08:37) Built To Do What You Did Last Night (To Howlin' Wolf)
4. (00:09:28) You Have To Get Low As A Toad Again (To Hound Dog Taylor)
5. (00:04:57) Take Your Hand Off It (To Albert King)
6. (00:10:22) Rotten Herring Blues (To Per-Åke Holmlander)

Review:

Vintage Duets: Chicago 1-11-80 is a wonderful reunion recording of AACM musicians, drummer Steve McCall and tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson, who had not played together since McCall joined Henry Threadgill's group, Air, in 1970. The session initially took place at the request of a European label that went out of business before the album was released. The Chicago label Okkadisk has finally made this legendary meeting available on CD. Although Anderson and McCall hadn't played together in a decade, their history and sympathetic feel for the music remained intact; a deep understanding runs throughout this recording, as the two move with assurance and free-jazz wisdom, weaving long, lyrical tales of musical action, history, and introspection. The brisk, seamless flow of "Within," and "Wandering," a lyrical ballad shaded with rolling mallets – both clocking in at just over 20 minutes – equals a wealth of listening that is not only energetic and masterful, but somehow so full, warm, and grounded that (to free-jazz ears) it is also soothing.