Guitarist
Peter Bernstein, who was 25 at the time, made his recording debut as a leader on this CD. He plays quite well, as does his friend, the up-and-coming pianist
Brad Mehldau. Teamed with bassist
John Webber and drummer
Jimmy Cobb,
Bernstein and
Mehldau (who was almost recognizable at this early point) play three of the guitarist's originals, four jazz standards, and
Lee Morgan's "Mr. Kenyatta," all in the modern hard bop style. Although
Bernstein (who often sounds a bit like
Wes Montgomery) and
Mehldau would grow quite a bit from where they were in 1992, this was a fine start for their careers. ~ Scott Yanow