I
f your idea of jazz guitar is the likes of Wes Montgomery or George Benson, step right up into the world of James Zito, who imbibes from the same waters with style on this album. He’s a bopper, all right, backed by the likes of Rodney Whitaker/b, Joe Farnsworth/dr, Luther Allison/p and a hip horn section.
Zito uses recipes from George Benson’s cookbook, with the nonet a yes yes on Jimmy Smith’s “Ready and Able” and simmering on his own ‘Minor Lies”. Sexy samba is served on the sleek “Pense Nisso” while the bop pen is stylized on “Bird In The Wind”. Vocalist Georgia Heers gets cozy on a tender “The Nearness Of You” while Chris Lewis’ tenor blows nifty smoke rings on “The End Of A Love Affair”. Zito’s touch is able to be fingerprinted on a slow and easy “After You’ve Gone” while he grinds out the blues on ‘It Could Happen To You. Movin’ Wes!