Richie Beirach & Andy LaVerne - Too Grand (1994)

To begin with, there’s nothing too grand about this recording. As the linernote writer Mark Gardner puts it, “ The music is accessible and accomplished but not over-polished..Four hands, two minds in unison and two grands equals bliss for lover of jazz piano when Richie and Andy are calling the tunes and delivering them so expertly together .”

When the two pianists with almost identical background (both New Yorker, almost same age: Richie 46 Andy 45, classically trained, went to the same school, Berkelee College of Music, had their first major job in the Stan Getz Group…) sat at the two pianos, the resulting duologue is telepathic and electrifying.

Richie Beirach (piano)
Andy LaVerne (piano)