Guitarist Greg Chako feels he's had something of an unfair shake from the world of critics and studios, that he's not big enough to have a name for himself. For his ninth album, he enlisted a few players from his Japanese sessions in an attempt to refute those criticisms, which are indeed rendered invalid by Everybody's Got a Name. Chako has developed a fuller sound, and the ability to play straightforward jazz in trio and quartet settings. As the album opens, Chako's style almost sounds like it's picking up hints of Wes Montgomery. To follow up, he makes an excellent piece of contemporary bop. For the title track, chunks of Latin are thrown in with some post-bop aesthetics, and after an initial jumbling period, the result is a fine composition. As the album progresses, Chako explores more contemplative pieces built upon a pastoral tradition, straight-up swinging pieces, a bit of Jobim's bossa nova, and a quiet duet with Hiroshi Tanaka on piano (with what might be a Bill Evans influence in his phrasing). While it can almost seem as though Chako is trying to please the critics by covering all of the fundamental bases here, the playing is really fine. The rhythm section is outstanding, moving from style to style with ease and providing more than just rhythmic accompaniment. Moreover, Chako stretches further out here than in previous releases -- his earlier sound fit more of a lounge act setting, sometimes seeming to cover the songs nearly straight from a playbook. Here, he's exploring and developing, taking influences into account and not merely adding some personal effect to the playing. Instead, on Everybody's Got a Name his personal approach coalesces with his influences in a better way.
© Adam Greenberg /TiVo