Thank You Charlie Christian pays homage to the legendary jazz guitarist in a manner most appropriate to an innovator of his stature -- rather than merely imitate that which is inimitable,
Herb Ellis channels the imagination and expressiveness of his hero to create a lean, mean sound far more forward-thinking than nostalgic. Like
Christian,
Ellis favors feeling over flash and economy over excess -- paired here with pianist
Frank Strazzari, bassist
Chuck Berghofer, cellist
Harry Babasin and drummer
Kenny Hume, he creates a series of compact and determinedly contemporary bop snapshots in vivid Technicolor, not the black-and-white of a bygone era. A beautiful and heartfelt record that draws from the past but refuses to live in it. ~ Jason Ankeny