Emily Brind'amour

After Emily Remler's untimely death from a heart attack in 1990 at the age of 32, Concord issued two anthologies of her work, although all six of her CDs for the label were still readily available. The guitarist was still blossoming at the time of her last session for the label; this second volume concentrates on her work as a composer. "The Firefly" is a lively hard bop piece in the style of Wes Montogmery, while the very soft, understated "Waltz for My Grandfather" is reminiscent of Jim Hall. "Nunca Mais" is an upbeat samba featuring trumpeter John D'Earth in a pianoless date; a second session with him produced four more Remler tunes, all of which are present on this CD. Her duo date with Larry Coryell didn't include any of her works, so it is not represented in this release. Her last date for the label included "Blues for Herb," a swinging tribute to her friend and fellow guitarist Herb Ellis…

This is the first of two CDs issued by Concord Jazz compiling some of the best tracks from Emily Remler's sessions for that label. Cut short at a far too early age by a heart condition while touring in Australia, Remler had all the talent necessary to carve herself a niche in the jazz world as a premier jazz guitar interpreter and performer. Retrospective, Vol. 1 is probably the superior of the two volumes, as it includes, among other gems, an enticing unaccompanied rendition of "Afro Blue." Remler had the ability to be expressively warm with a romantic ballad, as on "In a Sentimental Mood," but she excelled on tunes that allowed her to bring out her hard bop credentials, especially in the company of similarly tough-minded rhythm sections. She displays those credentials on several tracks, such as "Hot House" and "Daahoud," where she is joined by the inestimable Hank Jones on piano and Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums. "Del Sasser" is the sole representative from that intriguing album she made with trumpet player John D'earth.

Recorded live at Brunel Goods Shed, 15 November 2020. Filmed and broadcast as a livestream by Northern Cowboys, the event brought together the full band that recorded the album A Dark Murmuration of Words in the absence of live touring during the Covid lockdown.