Larry Coryell, Badi Assad, John Abercrombie Three Guitars

Larry Coryell, Badi Assad, John Abercrombie

Three Guitars

Chesky JD248

Larry Coryell, acoustic guitar; Badi Assad, nylon string classical guitar, vocals, mouth and body percussion, kalimba, copper flute; John Abercrombie, acoustic guitar

Back to the roots, you might say! Guitars made as God intended, a lady vocalizing (as well as playing guitar) with a unique purity of sound. All three musicians are top of their class on their instruments. The music is thus, um, masterful. All of the numbers are originals. There is a strong Brazilian leaning given to once again tug at our hearts and enliven minds. Recorded in St Peter's Church, NY, the music does have a certain sense of transcendence to it. The guitar lines flow and interact from all three with much sympathy. The mood evoked is one of titillation, of musical sparkle, sunlight bouncing over rippling water. Things get pretty funky on "No Flight Tonight", with Badi Assad apparently "trommeling" her body and/or mouth to great effect; and Coryell is simply brilliant on this one. Abercrombie has always provided creative solos of immense interest in construct and rendition, and he really pulls out some gems on this session. This CD is an absolute must for all guitarists and that should also mean any fans looking for quality time. Highly recommended.

by Lawrence Brazier