Customer Reviews

Live at Birdland

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

 

 

This album was my introduction to Jimmy Bruno, and to me it ranks with "Like That" as his best album. Playing jazz guitar at this level is an amazing feat in it's own right, but doing it "live" puts Bruno in a class by himself. And when he is joined by the great Bobby Watson (to many, the new "Bird"), things really move into the stratosphere. Fasten your seatbelts, before you check out their reading of Charlie Parker's "Anthropology".

The Jimmy Bruno Trio is given a big boost by the Alto Sax of Bobby Watson on tracks 6-11. Good ballads too. 60 min of music 40 with Bobby in the group. Jimmy's Live at Birdland vol 2 is with Scott Hamilton if that's your bag. Bobby Watson can also be heard to great advantage on vibist Steve Nelson's Live Session Vol 1 & 2. and with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - LIVE IN SWEDEN among many others.

TWO GREAT MINDS COME TOGETHER. IT TAKES A LOT TO JUST PLAY A TUNE(AFTER YOU'VE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS MASTERING AN INSTRUMENT),IN PERFORMANCE. BRUNO'S GUITAR PLAYING IS EXEMPLARY,AND HE SWINGS. THIS CD WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT RECORDING ,EVEN WITHOUT THE GUEST APPEARENCE OF WATSON. WITH THEIR INTERPLAY OF IMPROVISATION AND HARMONIZAION, THESE TWO MASTERS MANAGE TO GIVE NEW LIFE TO SOME STANDARD LONG ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAMOUS VENUE. TO MAKE A LONG STORY EVEN LONGER IT'S A GOOD LISTEN.

If you like hard bop go for this. Bruno is one of the greats.

A live performance of Jimmy and guest.

Best jazz guitarist alive today. Period. Excellent live album. Will send any guitarist to the woodshed for a loooooong time!

I find something missing in his playing. No one can dismiss his mighty technical wizardry but his playing lacks emotional substance. For me he seems to jump aimlessly from one series of technical displays to another. The technique should be a means to an end but it seems distracting in his playing. If you want to hear fabulous technique combined with emotional impact check out Russell Malone.