Having lately seen the now 83-year-old Barron in feline action with his trio at Ronnie Scott’s and noted yet again the sustained grace of his improvisations, it is salutary to come across this double-album live recording made when he was a mere 45! Taken from this duo’s performance at Umbria Jazz in Perugia, Italy, in 1986, while both men were appearing there with their band Sphere, it is clear from Lord’s Barron discography that only the music on the first of these two CDs had been previously released, also on this Italian label. From some source, not explained in the booklet notes, sufficient new material has now surfaced to make up CD2, hence the album’s title.

Interestingly, Barron chose eight standard songs – no originals, contrary to recent live gigs – on which to stretch out. Given the Perugian locale and the timing, it’s perhaps no surprise that he exudes greater energy, with a more direct keyboard touch, richly chorded often, and almost percussive at times. Even so, the inspiration never flags and if there are moments of delicacy, they sit well with the more vigorous passages. As ever, Barron is a master of harmonic variation and is never maladroit. Which brings me to Buster Williams.

There can be no doubt of his instrumental mastery whether playing solo or in support, the bass sound prominent and often deftly balanced. It’s in his use of a sustained, almost corpulent effect to his notes that seems to me to be inimical to swing. It is virtuosic, for sure, but reinforces the notion of two soloists rather than a truly compatible pair. Others may disagree. Superb sound, incidentally.