Title: One Quiet NightArtist: Pat MethenyPersonnel: Pat Metheny - Baritone Acoustic GuitarOkay guys, this is the album every Pat Metheny (without Group) fan has been waiting for. Just Pat, an acoustic guitar, a mic and that's it. No pyrotechnics and no synthesizers. Just plain accoustic playing. There are no real surprises as the album is a mix of the classic slow, contemplative Metheny songs with

Title: Kind of Blue Artist: Miles DavisPersonnel: Miles Davis - Trumpet, Julian Adderly - Alto Sax, John Coltrane - Tenor Sax, Bill Evans - Piano, Paul Chambers - Bass, Jimmy Cobb - Drums Sometimes I wonder if Kind of Blue should even be included in a review list. If forced to choose a "greatest ever" jazz album, this would be at the top of most lists. It even made the top 100 rock albums of the 20th

Title: Waltz for Debbie Artist: Bill Evans Personnel: Bill Evans - Piano, Scott LaFaro - Bass, Paul Motian - DrumsWaltz for Debbie is one of two albums that resulted from a show done by the Bill Evans trio at the Village Vanguard. (The other is Sunday at the Village Vanguard.) It is these two albums that define the now common format of jazz trio and at the same time refined the concept of live recording.

Title: You Must Believe in Spring Artist: Bill Evans Personnel: Bill Evans - Piano, Eddie Gomez - Bass, Eliot Zigmund - Drums I've really been getting into Bill Evans lately. Having pretty much exhausted his early years, I picked up You Must Believe in Spring based on a recommendation from the net. You Must Believe in Spring dates from late in Bill Evans career and features Eddie Gomez and Eliot Zigmund.

Title: Natty Dread Artist: Charlie Hunter Quartet Personnel: Charlie Hunter - Guitar, Calder Spanier - Alto Sax, Kenny Brooks - Tenor Sax, Scott Amendola - Drums I'm sitting here listening to the latest Charlie Hunter CD really enjoying it. It's a remake of the old Bob Marley album of the same name, but with jazz stylings. If you're expecting reggae, you won't find it here. But the great tunes are

Title: T.J. Kirk Artist: T.J. Kirk Personnel: Will Bernard - Guitar, John Scott - Guitar, Charlie Hunter - 8-String Guitar, Bass, Scott Amendola - Drums, percussion The group T.J. Kirk is a strange conglomeration of both players and music. The name comes from the music they play. Specifically, all tunes on the album are by either Theolonius Monk, James Brown, or Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Apparently they

Title: The Brunt Artist: Either/Orchestra Personnel: Trumpets - Tom Halter, John Carlson; Trombones - John Carlson, Russell Jewell; Reeds - Andrew D'Angelo (alto, bass clarinet, clarinet), Russ Gershon (tenor, soprano), Charlie Kohlhase (bari); Rhythm Section - Chris Taylor (piano), John Turner (bass), Matt Wilson (drums) Continuing in the big band (or jazz orchestra) vein is the Either/Orchestra.

Artist: Mingus Big Band Personnel: Trumpets - Randy Brecker, Philip Harper, Ryan Kisor; Trombones - Jamal Haynes, Earl McIntyre, Ku-Umba Frank Lacy; Reeds - Gary Smulyan (bari), Craig Handy (alto), John Stubblefield (tenor), David Lee Jones (alto), Steve Slagle (alto), Chris Potter (tenor); Rhythm Section - Kenny Drew Jr. (piano), Andy McKee (bass), Adam Cruz (drums) There has always been a special

Title: Antler Dance Artist: Boiled in Lead Personnel: Drew Miller - Base, Robin "Adnan" Anders - Drums, Adam Stemple - Guitar, Vocals, Josef Kessler - Fiddle Boiled in Lead is one of the many celtic influenced rock bands that I enjoy. These guys are as much (if not more) rock than celtic, so please don't get them confused with The Chieftons (also quite good) or something like that. The opening number

Title: Creation Artist: James Taylor Quartet Personnel: James Taylor - Organs, D. Taylor - Guitar, G. Crockett - Bass, M. Ravelico - Percussion No, it's not that James Taylor (although I like him too). The James Taylor Quartet is an organ based trio that plays, well, cop show music. I'm not kidding, they really play cop show music. The opening piece is The Theme from Starsky and Hutch and it pretty

Title: Flaming Pie Artist: Paul McCartney Personnel: Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne, Steve Miller, James McCartney, Linda McCartney, Others... I pretty much ignore Paul McCartney. I've not really had much interest in his work after The Beatles. Let's be honest, The Beatles are a darn hard act to follow. Flaming Pie caught my eye for a number of reasons. First, it got a great review in Stereophile. Now

Title: Beyond the Missouri Sky Artist: Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny Personnel: Pat Metheny - Guitar, Charlie Haden - Bass Beyond the Missouri Sky is a wonderful acoustic duet album done by two good ole' Missouri boys. If your used to the Pat Metheny Group stuff with Lyle Mays, et. al., this will definitely be a change of pace. The album is all acoustic. No synth guitars or electric basses. The playing

Title: The Sound of Summer Running Artist: Marc Johnson Personnel: Marc Johnson - Bass, Bill Frisell - Guitar, Pat Metheny - Guitar, Joey Baron - Drums When I heard Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell would be playing together on a most acoustic album, I flipped. Two of my favorite guitarists in the world, each of whom have intensely unique sounds were going to work together. The result, The Sound of Summer

Title: The Nightfly Artist: Donald Fagen Personnel: Donald Fagen - Keyboards, VocalsThis is Donald Fagen's first album in his post-Steely Dan days. At a recent recording studio demo, of 30 or so audio engineers over half asked to hear The Nightfly to evaluate the studio's sonics. I have heard more than one statement that this is the best recorded pop album ever. "Best" is pretty bold, but it's certainly

Title: 11 Tracks of Whack Artist: Walter BeckerPersonnel: Walter Becker - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Dean Parks - Guitar , Donald Fagan - Keyboards, John Beasley - Keyboards, Bob Sheppard - Woodwinds, Ben Perowsky - Drums, Others...I already gave some space to the other half of Steely Dan, so I owe some space to Walter Becker. This is Walter Becker's first solo album since Steely Dan stopped recording.

Title: The IntercontinentalsArtist: Bill Frisell and The IntercontinentalsPersonnel: Bill Frisell - GuitarsTaking yet another turn from his original jazz roots, Bill Frisell's latest release is an interesting mix of world music, primarily from the far east. In a sense, Bill Frisell heads the same direction as John McLaughlin

Title: NashvilleArtist: Bill FrisellPersonnel: Bill Frisell - Guitars, Viktor Krauss - Bass, Jerry Douglas - Dobro, Ron Block - Banjo, Adam Steffey - Mandolin, Robin Holcomb - Vocals, Pat Bergeson - Harmonica Bill Frisell is one of those musicians that gives himself away with the first note. His guitar sound is very unique and lyrical. I've always associated Frisell with free jazz. Very good free jazz

Title: Gone, Just Like a TrainArtist: Bill FrisellPersonnel: Bill Frisell - Guitar, Viktor Krauss - Bass, Jim Keltner - Percussion Well, if you haven't noticed I've really been into Bill Frisell lately. (This is the last for awhile, I promise!) And, somehow Stereophile got it right again naming Gone, Just Like a Train album of the month. This is a trio album that really is a complete package. The sonic