PRE-ORDER: Together [CD]

Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian and author of 12 books including The Great Jazz Guitarists concluded his liner notes on Brouqui's SteepleChase debut album Mean What You Say SCCD 31979 saying 'The highly enjoyable and consistently swinging outing On the basis of his playing on Mean What You Say, Yves Brouqui deserves to be recognized as a major guitarist in modern mainstream jazz. He and the Spike Wilner Trio make for an ideal team and swing their hearts out.'And here Yves Brouqui returns to SteepleChase with Together, his second leader date.Born in Marseille, raised in Grenoble, Yves Brouqui built his chops between Paris clubs and New York's Small's alongside Grant Stewart, Peter Bernstein, and Joe Magnarelli. His second SteepleChase date reunites him with Spike Wilner (p) and Paul Gill (b), now with Joe Strasser (ds).Standards and three Brouqui originals move with unhurried assurance. Hank Mobley's This I Dig Of You sets the conversational tone. Brouqui's Steve's Here carries Monkish contours; The Pharmacist offers buoyant stop-time. Lee Morgan's The Joker and Sonny Rollins's If Ever I Would Leave You show his ease with horn repertoire on guitar. We'll Be Together Again opens with solo blues before yielding to quartet interplay. Three Little Words closes with propulsive energy.Warmth, clarity, and unforced swing.