Alex Tremblay and Dan Liparini: Miss You, Dear Old Friend
La Reserve Records

Alex Tremblay: Thoughts & Images
La Reserve Records

According to double bassist Alex Tremblay, the Brooklyn resident's history with New Jersey-based guitarist Dan Liparini extends all the way back to when they were kids. Reuniting for the very appealing duo album Miss You, Dear Old Friend, it's clear the connection they forged early on remains firmly in place. While the album title could be interpreted as a reference to their relationship, Tremblay wrote the ballad, in fact, in memory of a close friend who died unexpectedly. Regardless, that song and the seven others allow the listener to witness firsthand the deep bond between the musicians.

The duo arrangement is ideal for capturing the rapport between two players and their conversational to-and-fro, and Miss You, Dear Old Friend serves as an exceptional model on both counts. Monitoring their moment-by-moment interaction as they work through each piece is undoubtedly one of the release's primary selling-points. Both possess highly developed skill-sets, Liparini an alumnus of the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and William Paterson and Tremblay likewise a former Hartt School student. They're jazz players, but there's also a strong folk dimension in play on the album, which the two laid down in February 2022 at the Ghost Hit Recording studio in Western Massachusetts.

In keeping with the melancholy tone of the album title, many pieces are plaintive and at times peaceful reflections that exude longing and carry with them a recognition of life's fragility and an acceptance of time's passing. There are clear song structures in place, but the compositions—four by Liparini, three by Tremblay, and a cover of David Mann and Redd Evans's “No Moon at All”—were designed with flexibility in mind so that no two performances would be exactly alike.

Liparini's “Lunar” inaugurates the set splendidly with a melodically enticing mid-tempo expression that elicits from both players rich, ruminative statements. Hearing each seamlessly switch between support and lead is a genuine pleasure, as is the concision of the performance. As evocative is Tremblay's “Late Night Walk in Madrid” for its alternation between wistful and animated episodes. Hearing the double bassist driving his soloing partner with a walking pulse is the kind of pleasure a duo recording affords, and the tune, like many another, offers a superb vehicle for displays of high-level musicianship.

While Liparini's “Kojak” might call to mind the lollipop-toting Telly Savalas, the longing conveyed by his acoustic guitar reverie suggests he might have had something else in mind. The piece and the duo's rendering thereof are lovely, regardless, and the chordal voicings Liparini gets up to in “Snow Drifts” are music to the ears as well. As lovely as a ballad penned by Ellington or Metheny is the heartfelt lament “Miss You, Dear Old Friend.” On a livelier tip, a swinging country-blues feel seeps into “No Moon at All,” with the guitarist seemingly working a bit of Django Reinhardt into his licks.

The largely restrained and peaceful presentation makes the album ideal for late-night listening, be it from a back porch or by an inside window as daylight fades. As cathartic as the project was for Tremblay in co-creating it, Miss You, Dear Old Friend is as satisfying for the listener in being exposed to such intimate performances.

Anyone understandably impressed by his playing on the duo set would do well to check out the earlier Thoughts & Images, this one a quintet affair from 2022 that while obviously different complements the one with Liparini very well. In this context, he partners authoritatively with alto saxophonist Nicholas Biello, keyboardist Taber Gable, guitarist Tony Davis, and drummer Evan Hyde; adding variety to the presentation is singer Vanisha Gould, a guest on “The Yellow Rose.” Whereas it's a ballad, the seven other Tremblay originals are often post-bop-styled exercises, all smartly arranged and tastefully executed.

The players are top-notch throughout. As the breezy opener “City of Angels” resoundingly illustrates, Tremblay's assembled a tight and poised unit capable of executing his material at a high velocity with nary a misstep in sight. A soaring Biello's up first in the soloing department and then Davis and Gable, each buoyed by the muscular push of the rhythm team. A late-inning solo by Hyde shows the kind of high-level drummer the bassist recruited for the project. Taken at an even faster clip is “Karma,” which dazzles for how the five are able to keep it together during the furious ride.

Not everything's so high-intensity. The folk-tinged “Helen's Waltz” oozes a wistful vibe, though it's no less engrossing for chilling the pace (the leader's solo might have you fondly remembering Charlie Haden). As mellow is the lyrical jazz ballad “The Yellow Rose,” which sees Gould's soulful vocal nicely enhanced by Biello and an acoustic-wielding Davis. The reverential, hymn-like tone of the hushed meditation “Hymn for the Early Departed” aligns with Tremblay's desire to honour the victims of the horrific Sandy Hook massacre. With this release and the other having so much to recommend them, it'll be interesting to see where Tremblay heads next.

February 2024