Ready'n Able

STOCHELO ROSENBERG – “Ready’n Able”
Iris Music, 2005

GYPSY JAZZ – Outstanding Dutch acoustic guitarist (and his very talented brother on 2nd guitar). They do a great job with the usual Django Reinhardt tunes but also look beyond into bebop, classic soul, and a few originals. Brisk & breezy playing, very precise and tightly-knit. Good stuff from beginning to end.

Fo’s Picks: 1, 3, 6, 9, but it’s all pretty good.

1. Hard-swinging, good-time original. Solo practically skips about the room.
2. Breezy Charlie Parker tune: bass solo, tight interplay between guitars
3. Stevie Wonder cover! uptempo, with a playful solo & some great groove bits
4. relaxed original ballad: pretty melody, filigreed guitar solo + brief bass solo
5. ‘60s soul standard: bittersweet melody, played with a latin touch
6. uptempo standard: awesome classical intro, then takes off; both guitars solo
7. Django tune, uptempo café feel, each guitar takes a happy spin
8. Michel Legrand tune: somewhat sneaky groove, a romantic touch
9. Jimmy Smith tune: low & fast melody, they blow right through it
10. tender standard ballad: nice solo intro, lyrical solos
11. Kenny Dorham bossa classic: swings hard, tunnels straight ahead like a laser.
12. introspective original, played solo: flirts with a series of rolling rhythmic ideas

[Fo] - 3/31/06