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The idea for this CD began with a concert at Pasadena City College in the spring of 2003. We wanted to present a series of duets
using the guitar and the three instruments Isla plays professionally: bass, trombone and vibraphone. Isla and I had been playing together
frequently since we met in the late 1980's. Our first job together was as a guitar/bass duo at a venue near Isla's home in the Hollywood Hills.
This pairing of instruments is fairly common in jazz today, however, the guitar/trombone and guitar/vibraphone configurations are more unusual.
With the trombone, the guitar's role is timekeeper/accompanist and the guitar solos are unaccompanied. With the vibraphone, Isla provides some
comping that supports the guitar very nicely.
Half of the musical compositions on this CD were written by either Isla or me. Michigan Girl was written for Isla's wife Sue, and Swifts was written for my sister's wedding. That's a Wrap is a break-tune Isla wrote for a vibraphone/guitar/bass trio and Mister Blue is my homage to Stevie Ray Vaughn, written after his tragic death. Out of the Green is a contrafact by Isla based on the chord
changes of Out of Nowhere and out last original piece is Blues for Pili, an impromtu dedicated to my wife Pilar.
The other pieces recorded here are standards that we enjoy playing. Blues in the Closet is by bassist Oscar Pettiford and A Smooth One and Four on Six are by my two favorite jazz guitarists: Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery. Lament is a beautiful ballad by trombonist J.J. Johnson; and Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust is given the classic Lionel Hampton treatment.
Thanks for listening!
This CD is dedicated to the memory of Ben Cleall.
Recorded August 24 & 25, 2004
Talking Dog Studio "A" San Pedro, CA; using the Roland 2480 Digital Studio Workstation
Engineer: Paul Gormley
Mixed at: Studio B, Fauenfeld, Switzerland; December 12 & 11, 2004
Mixing Engineer: Rolf Stauffacher
Cover painting by Kathy Burke, 1975
guitars by Roger Borys and Manuel Contreras II
CD graphic design by Stacey Stanley, The Notepad; Altadena, CA
Italian translations by Sue Eckinger
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(Oscar Pettiford)