Two of a Mind - Then and Now

The Guardian 80

(Trio)

Two saxophonists, Chris Biscoe and Allison Neale, revisit the music of Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond. The baritone-and-alto interplay of this classic late 50s-early 60s partnership had the rare distinction of being both clever and tuneful, with touches of wit. The trouble was, they only made two albums together. Now, with perfect rapport, and a positively uncanny grasp of this elusive idiom, Biscoe and Neale have come up with more, including two Biscoe originals. The playing is immaculate, with the beautifully light but firm support by bassist Jeremy Brown and drummer Stu Butterfield. Colin Oxley adds subtle guitar on four tracks. It all sounds bright, sharp and, well, modern.