Aki Takase und Han Bennink lieben die Kunst des Dialogs. Bennink hat mit dem Pianisten Misha Mengelberg ein Leben lang im Duo gespielt. Auf Intakt Records gibt es ausserdem die Duo-Platte von Han Bennink mit der Zürcher Pianistin Irène Schweizer. Nach fünf Duo-CDs auf Intakt Records mit Silke Eberhard, Lauren Newton, Rudi Mahall, Alexander von Schlippenbach und Louis Sclavis legt Aki Takase nun eine atemberaubende, höchst kurzweilige Enspielung mit Han Bennink vor.

Man hört bei jedem Ton Spass und Freude. Mit Aki Takase und Han Bennink gingen zwei Wahlverwandte ins Tonstudio. Zwei Persönlichkeiten, die die Tradition des Jazz kennen und Entdek-kungsreisen mögen. Von Aki Takase stammen wundersame Kompositionen wie das Titelstück "Two For Two", die Hommage an Han Bennink "Ohana Han", "My Tokyo" oder "Rolled Up". Immense Spiellust zeigt das Duo auch im Umgang mit Standards von Thelonious Monk und Eric Dolphy. Han Bennink swingt in bester New Orleans Tradition. Aki Takase zeigt sich immer mehr von der poetischen und melodischen Seite.

?Aki Takase and Han Bennink love the art of dialogue. Bennink is paired for life in a duo with the pianist Misha Mengelberg. Intakt Record also offers a duo recording of Han Bennink with the Zurich pianist Irène Schweizer. After having released five duo CDs at Intakt Records with Silke Eberhard, Lauren Newton, Rudi Mahall, Alexander von Schlippenbach and Louis Sclavis, Aki Takase is now presenting a breathtaking and very entertaining recording with Han Bennink.

Every tone reveals enjoyment and delight. Aki Takase and Han Bennink – that's two of a kind in the studio. Two personalities familiar with all traditions of jazz who love to go on an expedition. Aki Takase offers such wondrous compositions as the title song "Two For Two", an homage to Han Bennink called "Ohana Han", "My Tokyo" or "Rolled Up".The duo also reveals its great playfulness while playing standards by Thelonious Monk and Eric Dolphy. Han Bennink is swinging in best New Orleans tradition while Aki Takase shows more and more of her poetical and melodic side.

It's hard to imagine anyone new to Takase's music not being instantly won over by Two for Two. She likes the playful composer pianists, performing Monk here, and Fats Waller and Carla Bley elsewhere. Part of the fun is her penchant for reversing variation and theme: Aki likes to build toward a written melody, so the tune seems to coalesce out of the improvising: pre hoc ergo propter hoc. But then she'll break it down again: coalescence and disintegration. For that process hear "My Tokyo," where a melody that could serve as a regal march is given a childlike naïve quality, Bley-like in that regard. Takase sometimes pens vaguely archaic tunes herself, such as "Two for Two" or the two-beat "Baumkuchen" – literally 'tree cake,' named for all the rings in that classic cake's cross-section. It's a sweet thing with a lot of layers, like this music. (Those cakes are popular in Japan.)
On "My Tokyo," "Hell und dunkel" and elsewhere, Han is in his familiar quasi-combative mode, applying constant, modulating pressure. But "Baumkuchen" shows his love of The groove, with a genial ricky-tick air in this case, as he demonstrates typically immaculate snare technique. He starts with that and only gradually works cymbals, toms, bass drum and hi-hat into the mix; then there's a rapid ascent up Mt. Bennink, before they ease back into the charming melody, slower this time. Still, a couple of tracks surprised even this longtime Bennink-watcher. He lays way back in quiet support, as if he's so engrossed in what Aki's doing, he doesn't want to miss a note, and no wonder. Hear "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" Kevin Whitehead, Liner Notes