Steve Gilmore is best known as
Phil Woods' longtime bass-playing partner, and
Bill Charlap was, at the time of this recording,
Woods' pianist; guitarist
Steve Brown is a music professor at Ithaca College. The music contained herein is pleasant enough -- a collection of seldom-played standards, with a couple of
Gilmore originals thrown in. The record could have as easily been made in 1956 as 1996; the laid-back, gently swinging bop vibe is either timeless or dated -- it's unsure which.
Gilmore is a fine, unflashy player, possessed of more than adequate chops and exquisite taste. (That said, he should probably avoid bowing his instrument; the strained and barely in-tune arco introduction to the title track is not his finest moment.) Guitarist
Steve Brown has a nice unfussy manner, and pianist
Bill Charlap is a decent -- if unoriginal -- player. As much as one has to respect
Gilmore, there's little that's exceptional about this disc. Perhaps the presence of a more formidable soloist would have helped, but neither
Charlap's bland proficiency nor
Brown's casual lyricism strike any sparks. Pretty music, but little more.