The collaboration between vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Chick Corea is one of the most spellbinding partnerships in jazz. Greg Carroll and Michael Pagán conjure similarly appealing- albeit considerably less adventurous- magic on their new album 2+2.
Pagán, one of Kansas City’s most formidable pianists, teaches at Ottawa University. The fine vibraphonist Carroll is the former CEO of the American Jazz Museum. Carroll adds marimba, drums and percussion accents to 2+2. Bass and additional keyboards are provided by Pagán.
The formalists play with assured elegance on graceful tracks like “Hawk Watcher” and “Oak Tree.” The enchanting spell is broken only on the cringeworthy closing selection “Now’s the Time: To Pay For Jazz.” Assuming jive voices, the men demand that the people of Kansas City “stop forgetting about the jazz.” It’s a grating conclusion to an otherwise stately recording.
(Original image by Plastic Sax.)
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