By Ourselves by Marvin Stamm & Bill Mays

By Ourselves documents the long-time collaboration between Marvin Stamm and Bill Mays. There are eleven tracks including Dietz’ and Schwartz’ By Myself and You and the Night and the Music, Victor Young’s Beautiful Love and Michel Legrand’s You Must Believe In Spring. Bill Mays also combines Ravel’s classic piano standard Miroirs with The Lamp Is Low which is based upon Ravel’s lovely theme, Pavanne for a Dead Princess. Dizzy’s beautiful Con Alma, Sonny Rollins’ Airegin and two originals by Bill Mays round this set out. In Bill Mays’ words, “I think duo playing presents the biggest challenges: fewer people, greater freedom, more responsibility equal nowhere to hide! Marvin and I find complete freedom, respect and trust with each other.” Marvin says, “Every musician should be so fortunate to meet someone with whom they share such a great empathy and joy in making music together.

Over his career, Marvin Stamm has been praised for both the art and the craft of trumpet playing. Leonard Feather stated that Stamm is an accomplished performer whose technical skill is used as a means to stimulating original ends.
Jazz Review states, “It is a pleasure listening to the work of Marvin Stamm, anytime! Stamm is a musician's musician, performing flawlessly on the trumpet.”