The Concord Jazz Guitar Collective was a 1995 project that united
Howard Alden with fellow guitarists and Concord artists
Jimmy Bruno and
Frank Vignola. For Concord, a three-guitar date was hardly unprecedented; back in 1974, the label had brought
Barney Kessel,
Charlie Byrd, and
Herb Ellis together as
the Great Guitars. Despite the fact that they all play the same instrument,
Alden,
Bruno, and
Vignola prove compatible on this outing, which also employs
Jim Hughart on upright bass and
Colin Bailey on drums. Although
Bruno tends to be more aggressive and forceful than
Alden, he can be quite lyrical when he wants to; and while
Alden isn't as hard a player as
Bruno, he definitely swings. The two have a strong rapport on uptempo numbers like
Charlie Parker's "Ornithology,"
Sam Jones' "Bittersweet," and
Benny Goodman's "Seven Come Eleven," as well as on more relaxed performances like
Django Reinhardt's "Song D'Autumne" and the standard "Body and Soul."
Vignola, meanwhile, also proves to be an asset. Though not all of his 1990s output for Concord was memorable, he's a talented guitarist; and on
Concord Jazz Guitar Collective, the presence of
Alden and
Bruno encourages
Vignola to work hard and put that talent to use instead of wasting it. This is a CD that lovers of hard-bop guitar playing will appreciate. ~ Alex Henderson