Judy Niemack with Dan Tepfer - Listening to You

Judy Niemack, on the making of the album:

I first heard Dan Tepfer when he performed in a duo concert with Lee Konitz in Berlin, Germany. I was introduced to Lee when I arrived in New York in the late 70’s by my improvisation teacher, saxophonist Warne Marsh, and we eventually performed and recorded together.

Lee often invites me to join him onstage when I’m in the audience at his concerts, which is always exciting. He’s a master of simultaneous improvisation, where musicians react to each other spontaneously without either losing their grip on the form or falling into the traditional roles of accompanist and soloist.

I joined them for a song and the interplay was magical.//In the Spring of 2012, Dan was back in Berlin, perfecting his Tango dancing and playing with various musicians. We met and rehearsed at the Jazz Institut Berlin, jamming on some songs we knew. Once I was back in New York, I invited Dan to spend a day recording at Acoustic Sound in Brooklyn.

This recording is the result, not a typical vocalist-pianist duo, but two musicians interpreting and improvising in a relaxed, collaborative session.