ambrose akinmusire | Craig Taborn

Both had previously been guests at the Cologne Philharmonic, of course in different formations. That now, for the first time, the trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and the pianist Craig Taborn are to be experienced as a duo can certainly be considered a fortunate coincidence.

As a pianist who consciously exposes himself to the daring maneuver between composed music and spontaneous improvisation, Craig Taborn meets in the trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire a kindred spirit. Both possess a bewilderingly large variety of expressive possibilities; in their collaboration, it is now a matter of restraining their overflowing talent in favor of the joint performance and merging it into a convincing overall picture. In view of the high caliber of the two artists, there can hardly be any doubt about their success.