This is the 3rd installment of Twofer Tuesday, where sax duet albums, contemporary or historical, are recommended. The 1st, about pairings of altoists Sadao Watanabe and Charlie Mariano, was
upthread here, and the 2nd, about Sonny Rollins’ 3 pairings,
upthread here.
Pete Christlieb is a lesser known, still alive, tenor sax giant. His bread and butter was in big bands. Based in Los Angeles, he
spent 20 years in the Johnny Carson/Doc Severinsen/Tommy Newsome Tonight Show Band, but also recorded plenty with Louie Bellson,
Quincy Jones, Bob Florence, Gary Urwin, Frank Capp, and Bill Holman.
Plus renown small group and
session work with Tom Scott, Rosemary Clooney, The Manhattan Transfer, Natalie Cole,
Steely Dan (Aja) and Tom Waits (Nighthawks At The Diner).
Never really famous for his own releases,
he did 7 very nice albums with a 2nd tenor player. The most known are his three 1978 releases with Warne Marsh. Apogee has some fame for being produced by Steely Dan, and
Allmusic said, “the pair engaged in a kind of freewheeling, good-time set that
remains one of the most harmonically sophisticated recordings to come out of the 1970s.”
Pete Christlieb & Warne Marsh, Apogee, full album: YouTube link. Spotify link.
A few months after the
Apogee sessions, Warne recorded with Pete’s quartet for what became
Conversations with Warne, Vol. 1 and
Vol. 2.
Allmusic wrote "(they) match wits, swing and ideas... Because the 2 had very different sounds but competitive natures,
plenty of sparks flew during this date.”
Pete Christlieb's other sax collaborations will be discussed in the future.
Please enjoy some wonderful work by one of my favorite jazz artists, with the help of a good buddy.
Pete Christlieb Quartet, Conversations With Warne, Vol. 1, full album: YouTube link. Spotify link.
Pete Christlieb Quartet, Conversations With Warne, Vol. 2, full album: YouTube link. Spotify link.
