Charlie Byrd was teamed up with
Barney Kessel and
Herb Ellis (along with bassist Joe Byrd and drummer
John Rae) for this rather exciting concert. While
Ellis and
Kessel have three unaccompanied duets, the inclusion of
Byrd (thought of as a Brazilian specialist rather than a bopper) is the wild card that makes this set a major success. While
Byrd is excellent on his features "Charlie's Blues" and "O Barquinho," it is the three stomps featuring all the guitarists ("Undecided," "Topsy" and "Benny's Bugle") that are most memorable. ~ Scott Yanow