Tom Bekeny has used his skills at mandolin and violin mostly in the bluegrass vein, but here he shows that he’s really got a jazzer’s heart, going through a swinging set of standards with a few surprises with a hopping little trio with Dan Feiszli/b and Jon Arkin/dr. On mandolin, Bekeny picks through tasty morsels like “Lady Be Good” and “Moose the Mooche” with licks that sound like a guitar played as close to the bridge as possible. The solos here and on “The Way You Look Tonight” emphasize style and taste rather than speed, with Bekeny saving that style for his moments on the violin. A sly little take of “Ode to Billie Joe” has Bekeny strumming like Freddie Greene, while a closing “St. Thomas” has a clever quote from The Beatles. Clever without sounding like a novelty. Good show!
Dog-Boy Records