The second duo album by Bill Laurance and Michael League, longtime friends and collaborators,

Bill Laurance and Michael League, longtime friends and collaborators, have released their second duo album 'Keeping Company,' which contrasts with the larger scale of Snarky Puppy. The album showcases an intimate musical partnership, with Laurance focusing on acoustic piano and League on fretless bass and oud, creating a rich, sparse sound that blends Western and Middle Eastern influences. Building on their successful debut, 'Where You Wish You Were,' they emphasize deeper exploration and personality while prioritizing live recordings to capture organic spontaneity. Laurance's use of a lightly prepared piano adds texture, while League's self-taught approach to the oud introduces exotic timbres and expressive nuances.

Their partnership thrives on experimentation, with Laurance's clear, compact melodies complementing League's unique ornaments. 'Keeping Company' serves as a snapshot of their evolving friendship and artistic dialogue, highlighting spontaneity and shared humor in their music.

...Keeping Company achieves its admirable
but modest goal, creating mildly exotic tunes
suitable for semi-foreground or background
listening. Sufficient deposits of appealing
musicality -- often tinged with echoes of Pat
Metheny Group aesthetics -- sneak in from the
wings, alerting us to a larger intelligence behind
the pleasant surfaces.

Josef Woodard
DownBeat February 2025

Media

Track Listing

• Katerina
• You
• Yours
• Escher
• How Does It Feel
• Stonemaker
• Africa
• Clay
• Where You Wanna Go
• Trails
• Iki Keklik, Bir Kayada

Additional Details

Label: Act Music

Genre: Jazz

Run Time: 42:30 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 02/07/25

UPC: 614427906113