Customer Reviews

Concord Jazz Guitar Collective

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

A lifetime jazz guitarist myself, this is one of my all-time favs. My teacher made me a copy 10 years ago and I've been marveling at the collective dexterity and creativity of this powerful trio of virtuosos ever since. It's like a Friday Night in San Francisco, but for Jazz solely, and I would argue this is even better. They've basically taken all the old arrangements of some classic tunes and harmonized them, allowing for impressive individual expression in between the lines.
Enjoy!

An album for those who appreciate great jazz guitar and are not looking to be lulled by "smooth jazz." Still, this is listenable and accessible enough that smooth jazz types should give it a try. One of the pleasant surprises of this album is complex guitar treatments of pieces like "Perdido" usually associated with sax solos and be-bop quintets.

This CD has a mix of electric and acoustic, slow and fast. It is always interesting and one of the best over all jazz guitar albums I have heard.