| Jazz |
A simple approach for this album, according to Bill & Michael: “Taking a common project and moving it forward together is a statement of who we are: we are just good friends and we are celebrating that with this album.” – Bill Laurance
In 2023, a magnificent album, Where You Wish You Were, was already released by ACT, but after listening to Keeping Company, set to be released this November 1st, it seems that the previous album was just the beginning, and today’s work looks like an artistic blossoming. The duo, formed by pianist Bill Laurance and bassist/oud player Michael League, undeniably belongs to the latter category; the two musicians have known each other since their student years. During a chance meeting in Leeds, England, while participating as session musicians in a one-off project, they quickly forged a musical bond that was strengthened with the formation of Snarky Puppy in 2004. This bond has grown over years of touring together, solo albums, and collaborations, finally culminating in 2020 with the birth of their duo.
Underneath its soft and romantic aspect, pop, rock, and folk influences are present throughout this album, with only a piano, a fretless bass, an oud, and voice as instruments, striking a delicate balance on a fine thread. The soundscape, rich and expansive, takes us on a journey from page to page. Resolutely contemporary, the album is the result of considerable artistic effort. Bill Laurance and Michael League’s new duo album, *Keeping Company*, stands in stark contrast to the extroversion, grandeur, and power of Snarky Puppy; here, the focus is on an intimate, shared perspective. This is immediately apparent in the choice of instruments. The album evokes a highly architectural vision that reminds me of Escher’s drawings—balanced yet intricately labyrinthine.
Laurance has set aside electronic keyboards to focus on the piano, maintaining an acoustic sound, although the piano strings are occasionally lightly prepared. Michael League opts for a fretless acoustic bass guitar and the oud. This is a striking contrast to the pure groove of Snarky Puppy, favoring instead a sound that is both understated and atmospherically rich. The two artists easily dispense with a band, creating a particular freedom for both participants. “The oud itself possesses a unique space for association,” says Bill Laurance from the piano’s orchestral perspective. There is indeed a vision here, like a palette of colors inviting travel to places that feel both familiar and unknown. The chemistry between the two artists is outstanding.
“When I compose, my goal is to transport the listener. That works with the sound of the oud. It’s not a guitar; it has something exotic about it. It’s a canvas on which you can paint many things. On the first album, we discussed the possibility of Michael playing a fretless nylon guitar. He tried it, but it didn’t evoke the same emotion as the oud. Thanks to the absence of frets on the oud, he can access a whole new world of expression and create new colors for the duo. That fascinated us.”
Indeed, the sound exploration is evident on this album; it works beautifully, and one can even find a narrative form within the compositions, as if it were a new language—a contemplative work of an unreal world, captivating enough to enter our “Essential” albums category.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, October 12th 2024
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