Alden

Butch Miles has made relatively few recordings as a leader during his long career, especially when compared to the prolific output of co-leader Howard Alden during the 1980s and 1990s, but this very enjoyable concert in Hamburg's Amerika Haus is available again as a limited-edition reissue, following its initial issue in 1995. Miles clearly knows how to propel a band, having previously served with Count Basie and the Dave Brubeck Quartet while Alden was in the process of becoming one of the most…

Howard Alden, Lloyd Ellis, Cal Collins - Famous Door - Ace Guitarists (2015) {3CD Progressive Records Box Set}
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© 2015 Progressive Records / Famous Door | PCD-7156/7157/7158
Jazz / Bop / Bebop / Classic Jazz / Straight-Ahead Jazz / Guitar / Trombone / Saxophone

Three Phenomenal Guitarists From The Famous Door Record Label. The three enjoyable straight ahead jazz sessions that are reissued in this package have several things in common. They have been out-of-print for years, they are led by talented guitarists who are stimulated by the presence of two other major soloists, each date fatures a quintet that includes swinging bass and drum team, and all of the projects came about due to the guidance of producer Harry Lim, a true friend of Jazz.

Howard Alden and Bucky Pizzarelli played together a number of times over the years during jazz parties and in concerts, though the two seven-string guitarists never made a full CD together until In a Mellow Tone (though Alden appeared on a few tracks of Pizzarelli's A Portrait). Both heirs to the legacy of guitarist George Van Eps (who popularized the instrument), these two masters make magic on any session in which either of them takes place; combining the two meant that there was no reason for any additional players.

There seem to be a flurry of pianoless CD tributes to the late pianist Bill Evans in the mid-1990s, by far the most successful is this release by the extraordinary guitarist Howard Alden. He waited until he started playing a seven string guitar to fully explore Evans' rich and often difficult melodies, as he was then able to keep them in their original keys while being able to round out the original harmonies by playing the low notes himself on the extra string. Of course, it doesn't hurt him to have the talented bassist Michael Moore (who worked for a time in Evans' trio) and drummer Al Harewood on hand. Another thing that make this CD stand out from similar efforts is Alden's willingness to concentrate on the less familiar works by the pianist.

The Concord Jazz Guitar Collective was a 1995 project that united Howard Alden with fellow guitarists and Concord artists Jimmy Bruno and Frank Vignola. For Concord, a three-guitar date was hardly unprecedented; back in 1974, the label had brought Barney Kessel, Charlie Byrd, and Herb Ellis together as the Great Guitars. Despite the fact that they all play the same instrument, Alden, Bruno, and Vignola prove compatible on this outing, which also employs Jim Hughart on upright bass and Colin Bailey on drums. Although Bruno tends to be more aggressive and forceful than Alden, he can be quite lyrical when he wants to; and while Alden isn't as hard a player as Bruno, he definitely swings. The two have a strong rapport on uptempo numbers like Charlie Parker's "Ornithology," Sam Jones' "Bittersweet," and Benny Goodman's "Seven Come Eleven," as well as on more relaxed performances like Django Reinhardt's "Song D'Autumne"…