Music : Intermodulation

Rating: - Intermodulation
The first Evans-Hall duo album, Undercurrent, was too good to be a one-off and so a few years later they made this follow-up. Whether it’s as good as Undercurrent is a matter of opinion. Both artists are in good form, which is recommendation enough. However, there’s a degree less warmth and depth in the recording than on Undercurrent and it may be this that makes the playing on Intermodulation seem a bit more detached and cerebral.
There are good things here, though. I like the oblique approach to ” I Get a Kick out of You”, which begins with a nicely shaped improvised chorus from Hall on the familiar chord sequence and only states the tune directly at the end. Both artists seem to play with more relaxation and assurance at this kind of up-tempo on Intermodulation, although on both albums, most of the pieces are slower-paced. Of the slower pieces, “My Man’s Gone Now” is particularly successful: the sombre, bluesy melody from Porgy and Bess bringing out the more emotive side of their playing. There’s some committed playing on the two ballad originals, although Hall sounds rather tentative, and tonally bland, on Evans’s “Turn Out the Stars”, perhaps because of a lack of familiarity with the piece. Both artists play atmospherically on Hall’s “All Across the City” – as they did, even more impressively on Hall’s “Romain” on Undercurrent.
If you don’t have either of these duo albums, Undercurrent is perhaps the one to try first. Intermodulation, with its well-balanced programme of interestingly chosen material makes a good sequel.