With the retirement of Vin Scully, guitarist Kenny Burrell is one of the last long time Los Angeles voices. Ok, maybe not as a singer, although he does have a bit of fun here with the hip “Jeannine” and sincere “Remembering” But what we’re really referring to is the midnight bluesy guitar sound that can only come from one man. Here, you get a “typical” night at Catalina’s famed club when Burrell heads the all star Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited, co-directed by Bobby Rodriguez and including LA studs Justo Almario/ts, Clayton Cameron/dr and earth toned Barbara Morrison who gets down and dirty with Burrell and company on a swinging “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.”
Besides that, the band glows with orange embers on “Stolen Moments” with a rich solo by Rodriguez, while “Adelante!” again features both doctors on a styling toe tapper. ALmario’s tenor gets Coltranesque on “Mama Ya Ya” before Burrell takes things down a notch with a delicate “Tribute to Billy Strayhorn.” This is the kind of music that is simply timeless; make it the soundtrack of the week.
High Note Records