One of the most lyrical of guitarists, Russell Malone delivers a rich album with a fluid team of Luke Sellick/b, Rick Germanson/p and Willie Jones III/dr. While his last album referred to melody, and the implication of this title leans towards rhythm, the fact is that everything Malone plays contains a perfect balance of both He shows his inherent melodicism on a pair of solo pieces, Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes” and his own “Flowers for Emmett Till” that are filled with reflection. Sellick delivers a funky line for “Leave it to Lonnie” and strums out a mean lick for “Theme from ‘Chico and the Man’” to serve as as foundation for the leader’s picking and grinning. Jones gives the brushoff on a hip original “Pocket Watch” and the team gets bluesy and down home during “The Ballad of Hank Crawford.” Malone’s tone is rich and elastic, brimming over with the confidence of a guy strutting out of a store with a new set of duds on. Excellent, and he’s touring around to support this outfit.
High Note Records