Benny Green Solo

Benny Green continued to show gradual growth throughout the 1990s. For this outing with his 1994 trio (which also includes bassist Christian McBride and drummer Kenny Washington), Green shows off the influence of Oscar Peterson and other predecessors, but also displays his own musical voice during a mixture of originals, jazz standards (including "I Want to Talk About You," "Pensativa" and "The Folks Who Live on the Hill") and lesser-known tunes. Three songs add six horns orchestrated by Green and Bob Belden, and a special highlight is Green's solo rendition of Oscar Peterson's "Noreen's Nocturne." Overall, this CD is an excellent example of Benny Green's playing and writing talents.

Pianist Benny Green proves himself to be a seasoned composer on this collection of originals. "The Sexy Mexy" nods to Horace Silver with some crisp unison guitar from Russell Malone. The upbeat "Central Park South" features Stanley Turrentine, while the pianist's hypnotic "Thursday Lullaby" shows off his considerable chops. Ron Carter and Lewis Nash round out the capable rhythm section.

Between them, the young duo of Benny Green and Russell Malone has a world of experience, having played with such jazz masters as Ray Brown, Harry Connick Jr., Betty Carter, Diana Krall, and Branford Marsalis. This live date captures the terrific twosome delivering a tasty palette of blues, standards, and ballads. Malone's guitar lines are impressive and encyclopedic, ranging from Wes Montgomery's ringing double octaves to Joe Pass's tender timbres. Green's pianisms imbue everything he plays with a haze of blues. They both treat chestnuts like Cannonball Adderley's "Wabash," Billy Strayhorn's "Intimacy of the Blues," and John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice/Lazy Bird" with dazzling and deft improvisations. Here, in front of an appreciative audience, these musicians beautifully highlight the difference between just making a record and actually playing music…