This 1960 record solidified Montgomery's reputation as the most important jazz guitarist to emerge since Charlie Christian in the 1930s. His two most-distinguishing traits---the mellow thumb-picking approach and the soft and round use of octaves--are in full bloom here. Montgomery tackles two standards, one tune each from Sonny Rollins and Dave Brubeck, plus four originals, including the classics "West Coast Blues" and "Four on Six." His solos are remarkably fluid and melodic while still capturing the essence of the blues idiom. He achieves a near-perfect balance of technique and emotion. On "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," his approach is unhurried and delicate; on the original "Mr. Walker," he produces lengthy, bop-inspired runs without ever losing control. Tommy Flanagan's gracefully understated piano proves a perfect match. Rather than compete with horn players and their styles, Montgomery relished the distinct and unique qualities of the guitar. --Marc Greilsamer (From Amazon.com)

A jazz-fusion classic from Pat Metheny's mid-30s, steeped in joy and sensuality. The guitarist's singing, soaring, shimmering sound is tinged with yearning, occasionally sadness--that's a crucial, overlooked aspect of his musical voice. The talented lineup flies assuredly with the brilliant leader, who mans several varieties of acoustic, electric, and synthesized guitars. The electronics of keyboardist Lyle Mays, straight from American front parlors and chapels, brings just the right amount of twist to Metheny's lacings of folk and rock. More shadings and fire come from Mays's accordion and trumpet, and the versatile Pedro Aznar's vocals, marimba, vibes, charango, melodica, and percussion. All but two tracks are by Metheny. His ability to write complex but accessible tunes is undeniable, and his arrangements are inspired. --Peter Monaghan (From Amazon.com)

The title of this Mike Stern release seems odd considering that the music herein could have been made any time in the last two decades. The opening "Chatter" delineates the distinctive, angular, funk-bop style that the guitarist pioneered with the Brecker Brothers in the early Eighties. Other tunes alternate between the kind of "world-music" jazz on which his contemporary Pat Metheny has built a career (albeit Stern's is a higher testosterone version), and your basic blues-inflected fusion. His 1999 outing, Play, featured Bill Frisell and John Scofield, and pushed him in some new directions. The follow-up, Voices, began his "world-music" explorations, and though it has been done before, and here again, he does it well. An engaging composer, Stern skillfully integrates vocals by Richard Bona and Elizabeth Kontomanou on tunes like "Silver Lining" and "Mirage." Sidemen Will Lee, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Dennis Chambers all turn in top shelf performances. This type of jazz is certainly popular, but Stern's signature funk skills are what set him apart from contemporaries like Metheny, John Abercrombie, and Bill Frisell. Incorporating some modern hip-hop elements might have stayed truer to that style while more interestingly referencing the tone of these times. --Michael Ross (From Amazon.com)