Guitarist
Sonny Greenwich's
Bird of Paradise is influenced a bit by the John Coltrane Quartet of the early '60s, particularly in the chord voicings of pianist Fred Henke.
Greenwich performs a brief atmospheric piece ("Of Stars & Strings"), the
Trane-ish "Bird of Paradise," the medium-tempo cooker "Only One Earth," a menacing ballad rendition of
Stephen Sondheim's "Not While I'm Around," a swinging "Night and Day," and finally a very slowly developing "Españada." Although not definitive, this is a fine showcase for
Greenwich's singing tone and his versatile imagination. ~ Scott Yanow