Bob Bralove and Patti Weiss

Acoustic Conversations

Self- released

The Grateful Dead family tree has spawned some surprising musical configurations. In the case of pianist Bob Bralove and violinist Patti Weis, it’s basically a duo album of mostly improvisational jazz, though these are composed pieces. In other words, it’s not endless jamming, but their Acoustic Conversations were recorded in one session with no overdubs. These two first met in a big band in San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium in 1995, doing arrangements of Grateful Dead music. They didn’t meet again until around the pandemic, when Weis shared a CD of ragas she had just recorded. A week later they were playing a variety of material, from Bralove’s original songs to Indian ragas and jazz standards. Having performed live, their bond grew, resulting in this collection of music.

It’s Bralove that has the closer Dead connection, as his duo with former Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten, “Dose Hermanos,” has released several albums. Before that, he earned a master in composition at San Francisco State and is an expert in MIDI, doing synth work first for Stevie Wonder and later for the Grateful Dead.

Weiss has played all over the world and immersed herself in several cultures. She is fluent in the languages of Hindi. Urdu, French, and Spanish. Besides, she studied with Jean Luc Ponty, played with Memphis Slim, toured with Josh Groban, had a stint in the Trans Siberian Orchestra, toured with Smokey Robinson, and composed music for five films. She has played in jazz, bluegrass, and gypsy jazz bands and has recorded three albums. She has a private practice as a neuropsychologist and as a staff member at the adolescent unit of UCSF/St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Acoustic Conversations has two Bralove compositions, covers of Freddie Hubbard’s “Little Sunflower” and Bill Evans’ “Peace Piece,” an improvisation on Erik Satie, and six co-written pieces. Many tracks sound like film scores, which is not surprising, especially given Weiss’ background, yet even Bralove’s gorgeous opener “Lights in the Fog” has that quality. Titles such as “Thunder on the Plains,” Flowers in the Color Field,” and “November Sky” connote such. The term ‘conversation’ is an appropriate descriptor, as these two are tightly connected even when in musical disagreement.

The CD weaves through mostly classical and jazz rather seamlessly, as the tracks flow nicely. The co-wrote “Devil Bar’s Blues” unwinds slowly as the two converse almost in call-and-response to deliver the haunting soundscape. The dense chords of the dramatic “Thunder on the Plains” make the tune aptly commensurate with its title. ”Urban Bounce” brings an infectious cadence, while standout “Dance of the Magic Spice,’ the longest track at close to seven minutes,” has an Asian flavor, the two moving deliberately together until they flourish in joyful harmony, deftly modulating the dynamics and tempo. On “Riding the Rails,” the two are locked in, building momentum for a thrilling ride.

Spend some time with this record. It is both articulate and expressive, giving it that transportive quality we seek in recording of this nature.

– Jim Hynes

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