Concord Jazz Guitar Collective

Howard Alden, Frank Vignola | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 30, 1995)
• Original Release Date: November 27, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Concord Records
• ASIN: B0000006OX
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,131 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Marvelous Recording, November 15, 2001

By 

stranger2himself (Down Here) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Concord Jazz Guitar Collective (Audio CD)

Everyone I've known who loves jazz has had a few "personal favorite" solos from their favorite artists that just seem to stand out from all the rest. You can listen to hundreds of great solos and enjoy them all, but there are a few that NEVER fail to make the back of your neck tingle or bring tears to your eyes. These are the ones in which every note, every bit of dynamic shading, every rhythmic articulation strikes you as being PERFECT--a small masterpiece of composition. Among guitar players, Jim Hall & Wes Montgomery seem to have achieved this level of genius more than their fair share of times. WELL, this recording contains one of those rare "in the zone" solos. On "Song D'Autumne", a Django tune, after the opening chorus, Jimmy Bruno unleashes about 1 minute and 30 seconds worth of the most glorious sounding improvisation I have ever heard in more than 25 years of listening to jazz. Unbelieveably swinging. Incredibly melodic. Powerful.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that Frank Vignola is not showcased enough. That would be tough, though, alongside Howard Alden and Jimmy Bruno. Not that there's anything remotely bad on the disc--no. It's a great recording, that just happens to contain a solo worthy of the best ever.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasure to Listen To, May 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Concord Jazz Guitar Collective (Audio CD)

I have had this CD for a long time, and everytime I put it on, it just seems to get better. These three guys all play with such fire and imagination, yet are totally unique in their own ways. The real surprise of this LP is how controlled Jimmy Bruno's playing is. Bruno of course is probably the greatest technician among living jazz guitarists, and here he plays with such melodicism, fluidity and taste, that when he truly does let go, it's even more impressive than on the recordings where he burns nonstop.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His best, February 20, 2005

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Concord Jazz Guitar Collective (Audio CD)

Of all Howard Alden's Concord CDs, this is his best and is certainly my favorite. Everything works here: the choice of tunes is perfect and the playing impeccable. Almost all the tunes are taken up or medium-up tempo, and they all swing like mad. There is an especially inspired and cooking version of Jimmy Giuffre's "Four Brothers" composition (made famous first by Woody Herman, of course), and of a catchy and swinging Sam Jones tune called "Bittersweet," which is a blues with an 8-bar bridge. Very nice and highly recommended.