Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bill Laurance & Michael League: Where You Wish You Were

Bill Laurance & Michael League: Where You Wish You Were

By Cary Tenenbaum
April 22, 2023
View read count

Bill Laurance & Michael League: Where You Wish You Were

As of this writing in Spring 2023, pianist

Bill Laurance

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Laurance and bass and oud player

Michael League

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael League have apparently been playing together in

" data-original-title="" title="">Snarky Puppy for almost 20 years. This may come as a surprise to some listeners who may still think of them as new kids on the block, so to speak. These two have been busy performing together all these years in the aforementioned band as well as backing up various artists ranging from

Erykah Badu

vocals
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Erykah Badu to

David Crosby

guitar and vocals
1941 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">David Crosby.

The pair's duo album Where You Wish You Were is their first together as such and is a departure from the more bombastic, big band, jazz-rock fusion sound of Snarky Puppy. The overall sound is at times rambling and melodic and alternately more somber and meditative. Four of the 11 compositions are credited to Laurance & League, five by League alone and two by Laurance.

The album opens with the duo's composition "La Marinada" where the piano begins and is joined by the oud. The second track, "Meeting of the Mind," is the opposite, with the oud being strumed and plucked and then the piano joining in. They meet in the middle as the title might be suggesting, putting forth a plaintive melody. The use of the oud throughout the record gives it a somewhat global, maybe Mediterranian feel at times. "Round House" begins with piano sounding almost classical and then joined by the bass.

Overall the album is reminiscent of the band

Oregon

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Oregon when the oud is more prominent, and with the feel of some of the best Windham Hill recordings of the 1980s when the piano is more prominent. It's an enjoyable listen with clear sound, and a good feel.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

La Marinada; Meeting of the Mind; Round House; Sant Esteve; Kin; Tricks; Anthem for a Tiny Nation; Ngoni Baby; Bricks; Where You Wish You Were; Duo.

Personnel

Bill Laurance

piano

Michael League

bass

Additional Instrumentation

Michael League oud, fretless acoustic guitar bass, fretless baritone electric guitar, ngoni and voice.

Album information

Title: Where You Wish You Were | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: The Act Company

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Synapser at Circolo Arcipelago in ...
< Previous

Sexmob, Larry Goldings, Steve Arg��e...
Next >

Bill Laurance Concerts

Nov 11 Tue

Bill Laurance

Gretchen
Berlin, Germany

Nov 22 Sat

Bill Laurance

Cadogan Hall
London, UK

Nov 22 Sat

Bill Laurance

Cadogan Hall
London, UK

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.