‘Abrazo’ is a Spanish word meaning ‘hug’ or ’embrace’. It’s also the title of an album by the French musical duo Emile Parisien and Vincent Peirani. Emile blows a soprano saxophone in a style that floats between classical and jazz; Vincent plays an accordion, bringing a folky feel to the ensemble. It’s an unusual combination, and it works rather well.

Three of the tunes on the Abrazo album were written by Peirani, one by Parisien. One track is an instrumental cover of Army Dreamers by the English singer/songwriter Kate Bush, and the rest are by American or Argentinian composers. Most of the track titles are in English, a few are in Spanish, and one appears to be the Russian word for ‘night’. The artists have embraced a large slice of the world stage.

A hug is always the right size.

Winnie the Pooh