I have seen Gilad Atzmon play with the Orient House Ensemble and The Blockheads and his playing is technically brilliant, his performances with the ensemble often interspersed with anecdotes, long tall stories and references to his political views. He is an engaging and powerful performer, leading his ensemble and also taking an active role in the Blockheads' performances. Physically he rocks, moves across the stage, turns his back and grins like a Cheshire cat at times, whilst at others grimacing as he is taken by the music going on around him.

I have seen Alan Barnes with Chris Ingham's  quartet and also with Gilad. He is marvellous to watch, engaging and sublimely at home on virtually anything you can honk or blow. He stands passively at the mic. between playing and even playing is comparatively still. His baritone sax dwarfs him and the joy of hearing him play it is something I shall remember for a long time. To say their styles are different is an understatement, yet together on stage, those differences count for nothing and add to the performance of both players. They demonstrate huge respect for each other and an intrinsic understanding of when to step in, leave, catch and upgrade a solo from an interesting exercise into a duet of immense musical interpretation. One fiery as a blast furnace and physical, whilst also suddenly able to take it down to exquisite emotional beauty,  the other more of a technician and incredibly dexterous. They read each other well in spite of, or perhaps because of, their differences in approach and style, as if each understands when to colour and fill the outline painted by the other. Barnes treats Gilad's political references with respect but does not dwell on them and counteracts his humour with good natured quips of his own. Neither dominates and they play brilliantly together. So this album was probably on the cards for some time - and now, apparently by a quirk of a jazz festival's organisation when they both appeared on the same stage at the same time, it has come about.

Barnes' Fat Cat opens the album and has references to big band swing and good old fashioned jazz playing structured around impressive solos and a gorgeous split scale section part way through. There are subtle rhythm changes and some decent bebop form. The development of interaction in the final stages is superb and demonstrates just how well these two consummate players intertwine musically. There is no domination from either Barnes' Baritone or Atzmon's alto and the beauty is in the listening.

Atzmon's The Lowest Common Denominator is gentle and the recurring theme is typical of the way Gilad puts notes together; lovely ascending notes followed by beautiful, perfectly pitched counter themes. Given that Gilad gives a brassy flavour to many of his solos his self-penned numbers tend to have a gentleness and sashaying rhythm to them and this is no exception. He develops and expands the theme, lovingly putting the emotion into the higher notes and aiming for the sky with his development even within a single, perfectly controlled rise. The bass of Yaron Stavi holds the gentle rhythm together and his solo is gentle and conceptual and somehow never loses the rhythm he set in the beginning. This is a beautiful number.

Blip Blop (Atzmon) has a fun element thrown in amongst some quirky, changing and delicate rhythms. The tune is shared, taken by one, then the other and improvised around over steady, strong bass, percussion and the sax solo is both rapacious and delicious before it is blown out by Barnes on baritone with mesmeric playing before some nifty skin work from Chris Higginbottom on drums and quirky duetting before the finish. Wonderful track. 

Sweet Pea (Barnes) is well, sweet to begin with. The age old formula of sax solo over bass, keys and percussion announces this as an old fashioned jazz number - and so it is; expressive, sax led and gorgeous with a lovely solo form Frank Harrisson on piano. You an hear the grounding in the players of the past and composers lost to us for the moment but here, the influences purvey like some gentle reminders of a by-gone era.  Phonus Bolonus (Barnes) is lively, boppy with intermingled harmonies and some Mingus-like references. Some pretty, quirky solos over solid support from the rest of the musicians make this number.  Little glissandos, trills and cleverly timed mini-pauses add colour to what could be in danger of turning into a simple set piece but Harrisson's piano, teemed with Stavi's controlled but sublime bass rhythms going on underneath it all add weight and depth to the layers of sound. The way the drums and both saxes alter the time in places is clever and the overall set rhythm is never lost while they do so.  

Pro-State Solution (Atzmon) is distinctly Atzmon, with that Eastern-influenced first,third-beat emphasis which is a hallmark of his more romantic compositions and proves an enjoyable, gentle, strolling piece. I was struck, as I often am, at how Gilad's composing contrasts with the methodology of his playing as if you get a glimpse of the inner musician in his music writing. A great structured piece and of course, delivered with aplomb. 

Giladiator (Barnes) is something of a gem. It is one of those tunes which allows everyone to solo, duet and play as an ensemble, never staying in one groove or place, it speeds along, until around the half way point it drops down in a heartbeat to allow the keys of Harrisson to emerge and solo off into the nether regions before the sax takes a solo and once again we are speeding along, devouring notes, rapidly ascending and descending, Coltrane-esque influences to the fore, impossibly covering the registers and then a drum solo, then back again to the racing, thrumming rush to the finish. The theme could have come from the  1940s or 1950s in terms of jazz composition but here the music is presented as a modern , helter-skelter rip roaring delight. 

Sun, Moon, Stars, Rain (Barnes) at first I took for an Atzmon composition (until I read the sleeve), which shows how the musicians have commonality. It is gentle, beautiful, balladic and a lovely finish to the CD.              

Alan Barnes and Gilad Atzmon are inspired pairing, not only because you get two great musicians on one CD but it is also interesting that you can pick the playing of each one at almost every turn because they have different sounds and techniques, yet they work so well together. This CD is listenable and interesting . What draws it all together is the band behind the pair. From Yaron Stavi's leading, steadfast bass to Chris Higginbottom's intuitive percussion and Frank Harrison's dexterity on the keys, the band keep the lead pair in check at time, whilst knowing just when to let free the reins and allow them to develop a theme before re-gathering and drawing them back in so the music is at all times a group presentation. Barnes shows how a baritone sax can tell a story and also cover the depths of a piece whilst Atzmon's dexterity over the registers is possibly beyond compare (with some exceptions). Both players seem to have found something additional in terms of development and (almost) non-competitive playing.. The musicians have embarked on a wide ranging tour to promote the CD so they may well be coming to a venue near you. A great CD and worth a listen many times over.

Label: Woodville Records

Recording: Fish Factory Studios

Release Date: 20th October

Launch Party: Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho - October 20-22nd

Tickets: https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/alan-barnes-gilad-atzmon-the-lowest-common-denominator