Two fabulous musicians opened the season for the Peterborough Concert Association at Showplace with a delightful and entertaining program of music for piano and clarinet.

Andrew Gilpin played not only the piano, but also the Korg Triton Pro-X and the Roland AX-1 electronic keyboards, the latter being a stunning red and white portable; and Fred Jacobowitz, not only the B flat clarinet, but also the E flat clarinet and the alto saxophone, both players moving from one to the other with equal skill and ease.

The program was billed Ebony and Ivory, obviously relating to the main instruments they played, and it was a program skillfully planned with a wonderful mix of familiar and unfamiliar works. Both players have a wide range of musical backgrounds, from classical to jazz to pop and much more. Their presentation was informal, humourous, appealing to the unfortunately small audience.

Born in Edmonton, Gilpin completely self-taught at the piano, composed or arranged many of the numbers performed and his skill at the keyboard is amazing, as is the wealth of unique, musical ideas in his compositions.

Jacobowitz received his Bachelor of Music from the Juilliard School, with his debut taking place at Carnegie Hall.

Blue Grass and Green Sky, by Gilpin, a bright, jazzy, opening number, contained some taped percussion rhythms. Three movements of Spanish Suite, also by Gilpin, followed, with lovely Latin melodies, ending with an energetic Ole! An amazing performance by Jacobowitz of the Chassidic Dance, by Abraham Ellstein, was one of only a few works by Jewish composers which survived the Second World War - a fascinating piece.

Jacobowitz performed the beautiful Dreams Of You by the English composer, Dave McGarry. The first half ended with an amazing setting by Gilpin of Bernstein's America from West Side Story, Jacobowitz shifting between B flat and E flat clarinets and sax.

In the last half both players formed a trio with the pre-programmed Korg in Minority by Gilpin, once again showing their amazing skill and the wealth of musical ideas.

The lovely, gentle melody on the clarinet in Aes Sedai, over running accompaniment on the piano, was also by Gilpin, and their program ended with his amazing and brilliant version of Tico Tico. In response to the audience's applause, they played a very classy arrangement of Gershwin's Summertime.