Jan Lundgren & Yamandu Costa – Inner Spirits

Piano/guitar duets aren’t that common in jazz. So, when we hear of one where the guitar is acoustic, we’re naturally interested.

Curious also because, apart from the fact that their instruments are reputed to be difficult to match, the two musicians come from different, even opposing, horizons and even continents. Indeed, the paths of Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren and Brazilian guitarist Yamandu Costa were not predisposed to cross. However, they did meet in Malmö, southern Sweden, in 2019, around a restaurant table, and the immediate human connection quickly led to a series of concerts, of which the present recording is the culmination. It’s hardly surprising that Lundgren should take an interest in a musician from the South, since he formed the Mare Nostrum trio with Frenchman Richard Galliano and Sardinian Paolo Fresu (to whom he dedicates two tracks from the “Inner Spirits” repertoire). A specialist of the seven-strings guitar, Yamandu Costa is more familiar with the music of Latin America than with jazz, but his openness makes him at home in many contexts, and it’s not surprising that Lundgren‘s music attracted him. It’s a meeting of two worlds, and the two musicians have shared the compositions, completing their repertoire with themes by Brazilian musicians familiar with jazz, such as Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luis Bonfa.

If there’s one common taste that brings Lundgren and Costa together, it’s melody, and both make their instruments sing in an interweaving of pure lines and luminous tones. But harmony is not left out under the fingers of the pianist, who unfurls sumptuous chords behind the guitar’s ethereal arpeggios. In addition, the two partners stick to slow and medium tempos, where their rhythmic science gives free rein to a variety of approaches, from whispered quasi-lullaby to twirling dance.

The result is a beautiful stroll, both intimate and vibrant, through contrasting and enchanting soundscapes.