Guitarist
Joe Cohn is the prodigiously talented son of famed tenor saxophonist
Al Cohn. Some may find it odd that on his debut recording fellow guitarist
Doug Raney appears alongside him on many of the tracks. The two-guitar format is somewhat reminiscent of
Joe Pass's recordings with rhythm guitarist
John Pisano, although here Raney is quite prominent throughout as a solo voice. Telling the two guitarists apart will in fact require a good deal of concentration on the part of most listeners. In general,
Cohn is the faster and more rhythmically adventurous of the two; his tone is brighter and more dry than Raney's. One would have hoped for more of a
Joe Cohn showcase rather than a date on which another guitarist, a second "funky person," practically shares top billing. That said, both
Cohn and Raney are fantastic straight-ahead players and they make beautiful music together, aided by Dennis Irwin on bass and
Barry Ries on drums. Four of the tracks are seldom-played gems by
Al Cohn, including the title track. Another, "Motion," is by
Doug Raney's famous father,
Jimmy Raney. (Perhaps it is the famous dads connection that brought these two together.) Other tracks include the classics "But Not for Me," "Solar," "Days of Wine and Roses," "Ask Me Now," and "Serenata."
Thad Jones's mid-tempo burner "Quite Sip" is
Cohn's one trio feature, and a great one. ~ David R. Adler