In spite of the somewhat misleading title of this CD, the tracks within are all solo features for the quintessential guitar of
Herb Ellis, with beautifully voiced arrangements by
Jimmy Giuffre, the exception being
Giuffre's abstract riff tune "Remember." While it seems odd that musicians with the caliber of
Giuffre,
Jim Hall,
Bud Shank,
Art Pepper, and
Richie Kamuca aren't more prominently featured, this meeting of
Ellis and
Giuffre is very successful.
Ellis is unaccompanied on his tasty original ballad "Patricia," and also wrote the understated blues "A Country Boy." They collaborated on the perky opener "Goose Grease," and there are also impressive takes of old favorites "My Old Flame" and "When Your Lover Has Gone." This long-unavailable date was reissued as a Verve Elite limited-edition CD in 1999, so the opportunity to acquire it at a reasonable price will be relatively brief; don't wait long to buy it.