Simpatico - Reviewed by Leon Gettler

The Age (Melbourne)

September 20, 2007

The title says it all. The combination of Andrew Robson on alto saxophone with Paul Cutlan on E flat clarinet, bass clarinet and tenor sax is immediately unusual and totally captivating. Very different wind instruments, different textures of sound and depth. And yet they emerge through the swirl almost sounding as one. Sure, this sort of duet might not sound that exciting but the trick is to suspend disbelief for a moment and allow yourself to be totally captivated. Very much a mark of their extraordinary skills as musicians, the result is full of exquisite counterpoint and intricate conversation right from the first track Lucette, which opens with Cutlan's clarinet trills joined and sweetened by Robson's alto, moving through to a call and response, echoing each other's lines, entwining things so closely that by the end it is hard to tell the difference between the instruments. There are some exquisite moments of dialogue as the pair exchange ideas. On March into Oblivion, Cutlan provides the jaunty marching movement on the bass clarinet while Robson's long notes come in to be joined again by the bass clarinet turning muscular. Then they vary between doubling and counterpoint pushing the instruments to the limit. A thoroughly engaging dialogue.

Simpatico – reviewed by John Shand

Sydney Morning Herald

August 25-26 2007

Just the thought of horns without accompaniment is enough to drive some people to distraction or at least out of the room. They should risk lingering a little. Andrew Robson and Paul Cutlan have been playing together for a dozen years, firstly in the Original Otto Orchestra and then with Mara! Their simpatico, always conspicuous, now flourishes on 11 improvised duets for Robson’s alto saxophone and Cutlan’s Eb and bass clarinets and tenor saxophone. There is nothing esoteric or “difficult” about this beautiful music. Texturally it is as abundant as a rainforest, with Cutlan’s bass clarinet being a garden of surprises all by itself. The fused musicality of the two players ensures the improvisations are never groping for ideas. Each piece is utterly distinctive in mood from the braying eastern carnival of The Mighty Khan to the boppish swoops of Running into Time.

Simpatico – Reviewed by Peter Wockner

Limelight Magazine (ABC)

December 2007

4 stars

This is a duo set of musical conversations. In the context of compatible spontaneous improvisation, listening to each other goes hand in hand with creation. The Sydney reedmen listened intently as they played on this balancing act of atonal freedom and melodical motifs. Foreshadowing, foxing and reaching for the unknown without compromising on melody, some of which are influenced by their tenure with Eastern European flavored group Mara! Cutlan plays tenor and E flat clarinet but predominantly with the bass clarinet, while Robson plays the straight man on alto.

Simpatico – reviewed by John Napier

Music Forum

Music Council of Australia

November 2007 – Jan 2008

Unaccompanied duets between two primarily melodic instruments are a rarity, and pose problems of texture and continuity which are dealt with by both artistry and remarkable spontaneous invention on this recording by two leading modern jazz players. This disc draws heavily on eclecticism of both performers: swinging atonal, Balkan Neoclassical impressionism of the blues of Central Asia might describe just a few of its moments.

The largely diatonic opening of Lucette juxtaposes slow moving lines with extremely florid passagework, reminiscent of Greek wind playing. The piece develops toward a greater harmonic adventurousness and more intense polyphony, returns to a diatonic, antiphonal texture, before playing out as a florid clarinet solo. The more blues inflected Tag has a developed sense of playfulness, particularly as Cutlan pushes in the upper register of the bass clarinet. The instruments lower register establishes an almost banal feel for the following track, March into Oblivion, which then makes way for a moody, multiphonic soundscape. A subtle exorcism pervades The Mighty Khan, as if two Indian classical singers had visited 52nd Street.

There is much beauty in this recording for the listener most notably on Running Into Time, The Mighty Khan, parts of Quintessential and the sprawling Over the Hills and Far Away but also a fair degree of acid humour, which demands attentive listening. It is also an album which is instructional in its intelligent and sensitive interplay.

Simpatico – Reviewed by Andrey Henkin

All about Jazz.com

April 6, 2008

Simpatico is the duet of Andrew Robson and Paul Cutlan, the former an alto saxophonist while the latter spends time on three horns: Eb clarinet (two tracks), tenor sax (four tracks) and bass clarinet (five tracks). The pair met as part of two different Australian ensembles—a sax quartet and a world jazz group—and then decided to distill their chemistry and breadth of experience into a fully improvised musical concoction. The 11 pieces on the 50-minute album are fairly perky affairs, Robson and Cutlan skittering around each other dynamically and turning on proverbial dimes. The improvisations involving alto and bass clarinet might be the most successful as they involve the widest disparity of tone—almost like Dolphy playing against himself—but the entire album is a refreshingly restrained entry into the genre.

Simpatico - Reviewed by Phillip McNally

Cadence Magazine

April/May/June 2008

The duo on (1) are new to me. Hailing from Australia they perform a series of improvisations on clarinets and alto sax largely, with a bit of tenor sax tossed in for variation. All the improvisations were captured on one afternoon, and create what the duo calls a “musical
conversation.” Paul Cutlan has a warm and woody tone on his clarinets, especially on the bass clarinet, and he plays with such warmth of feeling that he inadvertently dominates the recording. Andrew Robson is a fine alto saxophonist, and with a bit more acid in his tone, he
is a perfect foil for the warmth of Cutlan’s work. While the music is complex and virtuosic, it is never atonal or even abstract. There are no quotes of familiar melodies, not even hints of covers, and the duo
relies much on riffs and repetitions to move the music along. And their music is always heartfelt and genuine, and never relies on cliché. Yet in the end, (1) leaves me wanting to hear this wealth of invention in a more structured context. It would be nice to hear Robson and Cutlan in a 4tet or 5tet, perhaps with some solid compositions to work over. (1) leaves me wanting more.

©Cadence Magazine 2008