Maud Hixson and Arne Fogel © Andrea Canter

If you enjoy jazz that swings and smiles in the great tradition of the 40s, this CD, to paraphrase Cahn and Van Heusen, “won’t let you get away.” The duo has perfect articulation so you won’t miss a word of the lyric; the sound is well balanced by Matthew Zimmerman and cohorts at Wild Sound. And the band is swinging from the rafters: Doug Haining’s horns are sweet and at times delightfully buzzy; Jendeen Forberg is a powerful and assertive percussionist who never overpowers the voices; and Steve Pikal swings more than any bassist I’ve heard—or seen, as on the bandstand his body sways as much as his instrument.

The setlist offers a nice combination of duet (8 tracks) and solo (3 each), such that we get to know each voice as well as their interplay. Arne describes the recording as part tribute “to people like Crosby and Clooney, and their album, Fancy Meeting You Here, which is sort of an ‘icon’ for our partnership; one of the first songs we learned together is ‘Love Won't Let You Get Away’ from that record. ....” Maud adds, “We picked the tunes based on the repertoire we had worked up for our live performances, which centered on songs that had been written as duets, which I never perform alone, and then added songs that we already enjoyed singing separately, but which had lyrics that lent themselves to being performed as duets.”

Jendeen Forberg © Andrea Canter

Regarding the choice of the title track medley, Arne notes that “I'd always been fascinated by the relationship between ‘Sensible’ and ‘Irresponsible’ by Cahn and Van Heusen, even before Maud was born! So, that juxtaposition was something that had been brewing for decades, and she really liked the idea.” And it works. Arne and Maud trade lines, then each takes a solo turn. Pikal manages to turn the trombone into a melodic smoker—this tune seems to belong to him as much as to the vocalists. Reunited, Arne and Maud sail in harmonious tandem, proving that the two tunes indeed fit together—but without their precise timing, this could easily be “irresponsible.” The two trade solos on “Thanks for the Memory,” only coming together in harmony on the last line, and follow a similar pattern on the closing track, “How Are You Fixed for Love?”

Each vocalist has his and her own time in the spotlight. Maude’s rendition of Rogers and Hart’s “Everything I’ve Got” highlights her sweet, straight-ahead voice that emphasizes lyric and melody, leaving the improvisation duties to the band. “Rules of the Road” features spacious, still-swinging phrases from Rick Carlson, a halting rhythm, and a nice fit between piano and voice with Carlson’s notes neatly landing between Maud’s words. The band takes the second chorus, Carlson embellishing those open lines, and all are in full support when Maud returns to close it out, holding the last note just long enough. Doug Haining on alto and Kent Saunders on guitar are featured prominently on Maud’s last solo, “I’m Way Ahead of the Game.”

Rick Carlson © Andrea Canter

Duet or solo, the ethic of collaboration permeates each track. And it is the human as much as musical bond that cements this partnership, on record or live stage. Notes Arne, “Ultimately, this whole concept would not survive if not for the fact that we have become very good friends, and I think that is essential for something like this to work; people have to sense that genuine bond between the performers, or it's phony.” Adds Maud, “As Arne and I have worked together, we've developed an ability to sense how the other one will approach a song, and can experiment quite a bit by running on instincts, which allows us to find many different ways through a tune.”

Let’s Not Be Sensible is ripe with instinctive communication and mutual admiration, not only between the two vocal stars, but between musicians and audience. Everyone here, everyone within earshot, has a good time.

For more about Arne and Maud, click here . Let’s Not Be Sensible is available on CD Baby and at local record outlets.