Michael McQuaid should be a household name among traditional jazz fans. He’s one of the top reedmen of this generation and a force behind many wonderful projects I’ve been excited to cover these last few years. An Australian now based in the UK you are unlikely to catch him at any American festivals but you should seek out any albums he is part of. He’s a member of the Vitality Five and also has a trio album with Nicholas D. Ball and Andrew Oliver. He is an expert on the history of reed instruments in jazz who can, within a group, recreate specific sounds from the milieu of ’20s and ’30s jazz with remarkable fidelity.
This unique album finds McQuaid in a series of duets with up and coming guitarist Curtis Volp. Duets for no Reason at All captures the timeless dialogue of two musicians in their prime enjoying both each other and the source material. It doesn’t strive to be anything but enjoyable jazz, virtuosic but not showy. The tunes range from obscure to infrequently played: “Moonlight on the Ganges,” “Waiting at the End of the Road,” “There Ain’t no Land Like Dixieland,” “Looking at the World (Through Rose Colored Glasses)”—evocative titles that set a mood that is at times contemplative but never morose. Their choice of selections exudes an optimism in the face of things that is at the heart of jazz, and well timed for a recording session dating to
