Some people talk a lot, whereas others keep hold of what is important, and only need a few words to get to their point. The same is true in music. Lars Danielsson and Paolo Fresu, who have now teamed up, are two musicians who choose the notes they play with extreme care. “Summerwind”, their first joint studio project, brings the Swedish master bassist/cellist’s gorgeous sound on both instruments and his fine sense for simple and haunting melodies into a partnership with the bright, airy tones of one of Europe’s most lyrical trumpeters whose way of “playing it cool” has such distinctive expressiveness.
Together, Danielsson and Fresu don’t just create atmosphere and colour; there is also feeling here – and real depth. Both the music and the interplay between these players are, one might say, ‘such stuff as dreams are made on.’
The duo context offers extensive space for the players to let their musical ideas develop. Yet the decisive element for both of these musicians is not that they should play a lot, but that the focus should remain on what they play. Fewer notes are far more effective than many, and that is how the poetry develops from both instrumentalists as they create a mood that is almost meditative.