Jeff Colella & Putter Smith to Release Duo Album BETWEEN FRIENDS
The album pairs original compositions by Colella and Smith with works by Bill Evans, Monk, and Strayhorn.
Pianist Jeff Colella and bassist Putter Smith explore the intimate art of musical conversation on their new duo album BETWEEN FRIENDS, releasing digitally on selected platforms on August 21, 2026 on American Jazz Institute (AJI) Records. Physical copies will be available on Amazon, Amjazzin.org and everywhere music is sold.
Playing music as a duo demands extraordinary trust, sensitivity, and musical intuition. On their new album, BETWEEN FRIENDS, pianist Jeff Colella and bassist Putter Smith embrace that intimacy, creating a deeply personal musical conversation in which spontaneity, empathy, and shared intuition become the foundation of the music.
BETWEEN FRIENDS (AJI 77003-2) is the much-anticipated follow-up to Colella and Smith's acclaimed first duo recording, Lotus Blossom, about which writer Scott Yanow wrote in Downbeat, 'the playing is exquisite and atmospheric throughout.' More than a sequel, the new album is a singular artistic statement from two musicians whose personal and musical friendship has developed over many years. Their playing reflects the rare ability to communicate in real time, moving beyond conventional ideas of accompaniment and soloing toward something closer to a single, shared musical voice.
As Colella describes it, playing with Smith is one of the great joys of his musical life -- 'improvised moments of shared musical intuition' -- in which each musician responds instinctively to the other. Smith similarly describes their performances in terms of synergy, trust, groove, joy, and the freedom to leave the anger, greed, and jealousy of the outside world behind. That sense of trust permeates BETWEEN FRIENDS. Rather than relying on predetermined improvisational formulas, Colella and Smith allow the music to unfold organically. There are semi-arrangements, but the musicians do not feel bound to them. The result is an album filled with spontaneous interaction, subtle shifts of direction, unexpected harmonic turns, and moments of profound stillness.
The repertoire combines original compositions by both musicians with works by some of the most influential composers in jazz. Three compositions by Smith—'For Us,' 'Anam Cara, VR,' and 'Catastrophe Loops'—are joined by Colella's 'A Prayer For the World,' alongside compositions by Bill Evans, Kenny Barron, Thelonious Monk, Ralph Towner, and Billy Strayhorn.
The album opens with Smith's 'For Us,' an inventive twelve-bar composition that is both logical and unpredictable. His 'Anam Cara, VR,' written in memory of his late wife, VR, is a deeply personal dedication. VR was a singer and frequent presence at the musicians' rehearsal and playing sessions, making the composition especially meaningful to both. Smith's 'Catastrophe Loops' was introduced to Colella relatively recently, but the pianist immediately felt an affinity for its distinctive harmonic language, which he hears as sharing characteristics with Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter.
Colella turns to two compositions by Bill Evans, 'Laurie' and the closer, 'We Will Meet Again,' revealing the melodic richness and emotional depth of Evans's writing within the spaciousness of the piano-and-bass format. 'Voyage,' by Kenny Barron, has been a favorite of Colella and Smith for years. Rather than separating soloist and accompanist, they approach it as a collective improvisation—'soloing together,' as Colella puts it.
Billy Strayhorn's 'Isfahan' receives an intimate treatment that highlights its harmonic sophistication and lyrical beauty. Thelonious Monk's 'Locomotive' brings another dimension to the recording. Given Smith's significant association with Monk, including one of his compositions was a natural choice. Smith introduced the piece to Colella, who approaches it from a somewhat Impressionistic perspective, with Smith's bass playing providing one of the recording's highlights. 'The Glide,' by Ralph Towner, further expands the album's musical vocabulary. Built around a constant-structure form rather than the conventional architecture of a jazz standard, the composition presents a different improvisational challenge. Colella and Smith had been experimenting with different approaches to the piece, and the recording captures that continuing interpretive journey.
Colella's 'A Prayer for the World' was written eight years ago, not as a conventional jazz tune nor a vehicle for improvisation, but as a musical reflection of his perception of the world at the time that he wrote it. Smith and VR were deeply moved when Colella first introduced the composition. Years later, its message has taken on even greater resonance. 'As time has gone on,' Colella reflects, 'I think the world needs a prayer even more now.'
The emotional range of BETWEEN FRIENDS is matched by the extraordinary histories of its two participants. Jeff Colella has performed and recorded with Lou Rawls, Jack Jones, Sheila Jordan, Bob Sheppard, Larry Koonse, Diane Schuur, and many others. He also teaches extensively in Southern California and serves on the faculty of World Mission University in Los Angeles. Putter Smith's career spans more than six decades and includes work with Art Pepper, Ray Charles, Gary Foster, Warne Marsh, Carmen McRae, Lee Konitz, and Thelonious Monk. He is also a respected educator who has taught generations of musicians in the greater Los Angeles area.
The title BETWEEN FRIENDS captures the essence of the recording. This is music built not only on technical mastery but on years of listening, respect, affection, and shared experience. As renowned drummer and educator Joe LaBarbera observes, 'Personality and communication are essential in art, and this new recording delivers on both points beautifully.' Having heard the duo perform live, LaBarbera notes that the album captures their art at its finest, bringing together Colella's care and compassion with Smith's sense of mischief and adventure.
Ultimately, BETWEEN FRIENDS is an album about the freedom that comes from trust. Colella and Smith choose music that resonates with them, challenges them, and gives them room to converse. Their approach is spontaneous without being aimless, sophisticated without sacrificing warmth, and deeply personal without ever becoming insular.
