爵士界以小提琴闻名的乐手多年来似乎大家的脑中只有一个名字-Stephane Grappelli，不过近年来又出现另一颗闪亮之星─黎晶娜．卡特。 年近60的肯尼．巴伦则早已名列当代爵士钢琴名家之一。这张钢琴与小提琴的邂逅"Freefall"原始构想可追溯到五年前卡特与巴伦在Telluride的一场表演，巴伦听完卡特的演奏随即提出合作的建议。就在多次合作与克服各自应接不暇的演奏行程后，终于抽空录制完成"Freefall"专辑。 时而热情洋溢时而罗曼蒂克的钢琴，碰上婉约又高雅的小提琴会激出何种火花？ "Softly In As A Morning Sunrise"如同歌名般有着清晨阳光初现的愉悦，接下来史汀的名曲"Fragile"又显得悲伤与哀戚。三首巴伦的自写曲中以"Phantoms"最为经典，歌曲有如鬼魅般飘忽，小提琴的穿梭令人屏息。卡特的唯一作品"Shades Of Gray"是明与晦、提琴与钢琴交织的慢板作品。唯一巴伦及卡特合写的是标题曲"Freefall"，这是发挥各自特色的两种乐器间的对谈，也让听者有种余音袅绕的感受。 by Richard S. Ginell Violin/piano duet sessions are routine in the classical music world -- after all, Beethoven wrote ten sonatas for this combination -- but you rarely encounter them in jazz, due in great part to the shortage of jazz violinists. The Kenny Barron/Regina Carter sessions came about sometime after a gig at Sweet Basil's in New York -- and since the two happen to record for the same label, one imagines the only obstacle was the commercial potential of this teaming. But not to worry, for this session has plenty of life and wit; indeed, the sounds of the violin and piano go together as naturally in jazz as in the classical field (must be the resonating strings and wood factors that these instruments share). Carter clearly provides a lot of the spark with her ability to swing, often juxtaposed with classical poise straight from the conservatory, prodding the congenitally professional Barron into occasionally taking some chances. Among the high points are "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," which gets rolling on an Afro-Cuban vamp from Barron, a delightful take on Johnny Hodges' happy-go-lucky "Squatty Roo," and Barron's own Monk-ish "What If," which takes a quirky, running, walking ostinato in the left hand as its launching point. The title track, credited to both, is undoubtedly an unplanned, spontaneous leap into the avant-garde, with detours into impressionism and an unfettered playful spirit.