Robert Barry & Fred Anderson - Duets 2001: Live at the Empty Bottle

No doubt, Chicago, IL-based tenor sax titan Fred Anderson is one of modern jazz's preeminent improvisers as he joins forces with ex-Sun Ra Arkestra drummer Robert Barry for this wonderfully recorded and altogether electrifying live session.

Essentially, Duets 2001 is a rousing success, as the duo embarks upon a series of mid-tempo swing vamps atop free bop-style dialogue and brisk interplay, thanks to Anderson's corpulent tone, limberly executed lines, and Barry's polyrhythmic swing beats.

With this release, Anderson exhibits his razor-sharp improvisational tactics along with a penchant for intertwining soul-drenched mini-themes with scathing lines. Here, the musicians maintain an elevated degree of excitement amid subtle diversions and sinuous undercurrents. Simply put, Duets 2001 is a tour de force, yet it all sounds so unaffected. Recommended.

Glenn Astarita ~ AllMusicGuide