Michael Jones / David Lanz - Solstice (1985)

Merry Christmas, everyone!  Hope you're having a good one, and getting some time to relax and reflect.

Here's a nice mellow half-hour in the company of two pianists associated with the Narada new age label, in a side-each split LP from 1985.  First up is Michael Jones, turning in a lengthy improvisation around Good King Wenceslas, then turning Carol Of The Bells into an extended snowfall of gentle arpeggios.  David Lanz's side takes in the Greensleeves-variant What Child Is This, then closes the record with his Improvisation On A Theme of Pachelbel's Canon.

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Previously posted featuring Michael Jones: Amber

Michael Jones/David Darling - Amber (1987)

Pure mellow relaxation from Canadian pianist Michael Jones, with enough of an interesting edge from legendary ECM cellist David Darling to keep things from ever ending up dull.  Darling's overdubbed cello lines sometimes create rhythmic propulsion, as on the album opener Rainfall (where he's also the pianist), create Indian-sounding drones on Wu Wei (ditto), and generally flesh out the picture in engaging ways over Jones' spare, crystalline pianism. 

Darling plays ordinary cello and 4 and 8 string electric cello, as well as piano on the above two tracks and the lengthy Dreamlight (the haunting high point of the album for me), and occasional Fender Rhodes, hammered dulcimer and kalimba.  At this point you might wonder why Darling wasn't credited as the principal album artist with guest piano from Jones!  Perhaps Jones was the bigger draw to those who'd be interested in the record, having been with the new age label Narada Lotus for a few years already.

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David Darling previously posted at SGTG: The Sea, with Bjørnstad/Rypdal/Christensen