Live In Paris

Bensusan & Malherbe: Pierre Bensusan (acoustic guitar); Didier Malherbe (flute, saxophone).
Recorded live at New Morning, Paris, France on March 14, 1997.
Personnel: Didier Malherbe (flute, bamboo flute, bansuri, ocarina, alto clarinet, soprano saxophone); Pierre Bensusan (vocals, guitar).
Recording information: New Morning Club, Paris (03/14/1997).
Photographers: Zapo; Pierre Bensusan.
This interesting CD has a full set of duets by guitarist Pierre Bensusan, whose singing voice is sometimes heard, and Didier Malherbe, who switches between flute, soprano, alto and clarinet. The music occasionally borders on jazz and has improvisation but not much blues feeling, being closer to world music, Indian folk songs and what is sometimes called new acoustic music than to jazz. Malherbe is a particularly strong flutist, and Bensusan's guitar is self-sufficient enough to fill in for any "missing" instruments. Overall, the original music is fine, if not overly memorable. A sometimes-intriguing collaboration. ~ Scott Yanow