Martial Solal & Michel Portal

Martial Solal, who passed away recently, leaves behind some superb albums for Erato. Some of them are in the realm of contemporary classical music (his collaborations with his friend Marius Constant come to mind), others jazz, in the purest sense of the term. A few weeks after recording an unforgettable album of duets with harmonica player Toots Thielemans, Martial Solal returned to the studio, alongside the pope of reed instruments Michel Portal (here alternating between saxophone and clarinet). The result is fifteen original tracks composed especially for the occasion, leaving plenty of room for the improvisational skills of the two musicians, who accompany, confront and respond to each other with irresistible verve. A fabulous joust between two artists at the top of their game!