Improvisations (Ran Blake & Jaki Byard album)

Improvisations
Studio album by Ran Blake & Jaki Byard
Released	1981
Recorded	May 25 & 26, 1981
Genre	Jazz
Length	44:38
Label	Soul Note
Producer	Giovanni Bonandrini
Jaki Byard chronology
Family Man (1978) Improvisations (1981) To Them - To Us (1981)
Ran Blake chronology
Film Noir (1980) Improvisations (1981) Duke Dreams (1981)

Improvisations is an album of piano duets by the American jazz pianists Ran Blake and Jaki Byard recorded in 1981 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.^[1]

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 stars stating "Because Byard (who can play credibly in virtually every jazz style) is highly flexible, he was able to meet Blake on his own terms and inspire him to play more extrovertedly than usual... In other words, this matchup works".^[2]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

Track listing

All compositions by Ran Blake & Jaki Byard except as indicated

1. "On Green Dolphin Street" (Bronislau Kaper, Ned Washington) - 6:06
2. "Prelude" - 4:09
3. "Chromatics" - 8:28
4. "Wende" (Ran Blake) - 3:42
5. "Tea for Two" (Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans) - 6:57
6. "Victoria" (Greg Silberman) - 4:41
7. "Sonata for Two Pianos" - 10:35

• Recorded at Barigozzi Studio in Milano, Italy on May 25 & 26, 1981

Personnel

• Jaki Byard – piano
• Ran Blake - piano

References