Best of 2017 #21: Rebecca Martin & Guillermo Klein – “The Upstate Project” (Sunnyside Records)

Though both had made their respective marks while on the NYC scene, it wasn’t until after Rebecca Martin and Guillermo Klein had each relocated to upstate New York that the two ultimately collaborated.  It was worth the wait.  Their respective balance between folk musics and modern jazz sync up perfectly on The Upstate Project, and lead to a series of poignant moments rich with melodicism… and this applies to the union of their voices as well as between guitar and piano.  A reworking of Bill Frisell’s classic song “Throughout” is nice bonus to accompany some beautiful original pieces.  This collaboration should happen far more often.

Music from Kingston and Beacon, NY.

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