The Scotsman - rated 5/5

Title
John Taylor & Gwilym Simcock, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Author
Kenny Mathieson

The combination of the seasoned John Taylor and the fast-rising Gwilym Simcock promised a memorable feast of creative jazz piano, and so it turned out.  Whether performing individually or in tandem, the pair maintained an absorbing level of creative thinking and interaction that ensured a long concert never felt like a note too many.

Hearing each play a solo set was a treat in itself, but it was the duets that really scored.  Two pianos with no rhythm section is not unprecedented in jazz, but it is unusual, and the occasion was given extra spice by the generational contrast.  Taylor is long established as one of the greatest players on the European jazz scene, while Simcock is a major talent in the making and acknowledges the older pianist as an influence.

Their explosive duet seemed to click into place right from the opening notes of Cole Porter's Everything I Love, and they negotiated the effervescent tumbling phrases as if they do this all the time (it was only their third collaboration).  Their wide-ranging musical resources, structured manipulation of space and ability to respond to ideas in spontaneous fashion were exhilarating.

Joe Henderson's brooding Black Narcissus, a lovely, thoughtful development of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and a sophisticated high-speed romp through On Green Dolphin Street confirmed their empathy.  They switched pianos for their encore with similar results.