Clean tone guitarist Robert Kebler creates a deft trio with Andreas Henze/b and Tobias Backaus/dr for a mix of originals and sly standards. Of the latter he is pastoral and patient on “My Ideal” and soft and easy on his cozy swing on “Nobody Else But Me”. Twice he opens with acoustic strings before plugging in, as on the folkish “Night Storis” and impressionistic “In Between”, and uses the strings to echo over Backaus’ brushes on “Le Pull Vert”, getting reflective on “Fur Hanns”. Understated and drawing you in with subtle style.
Guitarist Margaret Slovak has a soft and dainty, almost harplike touch on this album of originals teamed with Harvie S/b and Michae Sarin/dr. She gives an exotic tap on “Will You Ever Know” while deft on the slinky “Carrot Cake Blues”. On nylon strings, there’s a gentleness to the tender “Forty-For” that draws you in, while she gets reflective with Mr. S on “Song For Anne”. The rhythm team gets a bit funky on “The Answer Within” and is gracefully flowing on “Ballad For Brad”. Pastels in 6 strings.
Jimmy Branley creates a trio, bringing in six string in Will Brahm along with bassist Sezin Ahmet Turkmenoglu for a mix of originals and covers. Branley sets a deep groove on the rich read of “If I Should Lose You” and snaps crisply for “Blues 14”. Brahm is melodic and warm on “Bis Bis”, lurking around the pulse of “The Meeting” and is liquid over the cymbals of “One Day”. The team percolates on Joe Henderson’s “Gazelle” and glides along the leader’s brushes for Wayne Shorter’s “Infant Eyes”. Most intriguing is a mellow yellow take of the bop anthem “Cherokee”, but it works to perfection.