LA-based guitarist Bruce Forman is one of the most reliably swinging six stringers around. He’s a mainstreamer, and can always be found (COVID draconian laws permitting) in some club cheerfully jamming away. On this recent album, he gives tribute to one of his axe grinding idols, bebopper Barney Kessel, even borrowing the late guitarists instrument to recreate those classic Poll Winner trio albums from the 1960s with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne.
Here, he employs the talents of the venerable bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamiton for a mix of standards and originals, and the casual feel of a late night second set is filled perfectly. Hamilton’s brushes dance like Fred Astaire on the easy pulsed “Rope-A-Dope”, “Feel the Barn” and “BRS”, the latter aptly named after the first names of the legends.
The gents make a good time of it, giving some jivey vocal along with a bass and drum intro to “Hammer’s Back In Town”, some hip finger snapping to Clayton’s pulse on an artsy “Love Potion #9” and Forman giving a bit of “La Marseillaise” before gliding into a tasty “April In Paris”. Everyone gets a chance at concise and clever solos, but it’s the interplay that is the thing here, and it’s a good thing.