It is said that marriages are made in heaven; if so, then this heavenly trombone/guitar duo is certainly the musical personification of that adage. Having collaborated on a previous recording, Whigham and Bertoncini were so delighted with the results that they felt compelled to return to the recording studio for round two, this time with a theme: the Centennial Celebration of Hoagy Carmichael?s birth. The ten tracks of this CD celebrate not only the best known of Carmichael?s songs---"Stardust," "Georgia," "Heart and Soul," etc.---but also remind us of some of the wonderful, lesser known tunes from his ouevre such as "Small Fry" and "One Morning in May."
The pairing of trombone and acoustical guitar appears, at first glance, to be a mismatch in which the trombone's volume level might completely overwhelm that of the guitar. Not so! These two consummate musicians handle this potential problem with such aplomb that this pairing seems not only a totally natural choice, but one that conjures the question of why hasn't this happened more often. The balance is so good that the contrapuntal interplay is that of two equal voices exchanging highly lyrical and cogent musical ideas. The creative affinity of these two performers produces music that sounds like the conception of a single mind, not two. Moving from ballads to Latin to swing, and back, they take these Carmichael creations through metamorphoses that are at times surprising, yet musically and emotionally fulfilling.
Join Jiggs and Gene as they lead you through a nostalgic, yet fresh scenic tour of the best of Hoagy Carmichael in this fitting tribute to one of America's greatest songwriters. You won't need a map, only a comfortable chair in which to sit back and enjoy the ride.
Track Listing
01. Georgia On My Mind
02. The Nearness Of You
03. I Get Along Without You Very Well
04. Star Dust
05. Two Sleepy People
06. Heart And Soul
07. One Morning In May
08. Small Fry
09. Skylark
10. Lazy River