Search - Bireli Lagrene, Minh Doky, Vander :: Blue Eyes

A great CD full of terrific music and vituoso playing.

03/09/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this CD. It really cooks - with style. These well known standards shine with the youthful vitality Birelli brings to the music. His style is melodic, swinging, traditional and modern - and all his own. His singing on several cuts hints of Frank and is a joy. Bryan Stern"

A really great CD

05/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...I really like this CD. The guitar playing is superb. Actually, all of the playing on this CD is great. That is one thing I especially like about this CD; it really is ensemble playing. Lagrene does not hog the whole show. He plays as part of the ensemble and makes his contributions throughout, even if it is in a supporting role (his rhythm / background work is also terrific). I think it is that ensemble playing that gives this CD so much power. The other musicians are also very talented(piano, bass, drums) and they work very well together. There is a real power and presence to this album. And, the recording quality is indeed terrific. Although Lagrene comes at the few vocals in the same spirit that he approaches his guitar playing, it's not his strong suit. I had the sense that the music moved him enough to sing; so there is a genuiness to it that makes it work. But, it's the instrumentals that really shine. This was my first Lagrene CD. I was so impressed with it that I set out to get the others that also got great reviews. I managed to get his first CD, "Routes to Django" (a live recording) from another source and I also got "Standards" from AmazonUK. They're both very good CDs. Lagrene is a very impressive guitarist. Really unique with a discernable spirit..."

Great playing with four surprisingly good vocals!

Steve Dwiggins | Atlanta, GA, USA | 01/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bireli's playing is absolutely marvelous. He's playing an arch top guitar, so he's got a better sound than he did on the "Standards" album (where he used a solid body). The whole band is really cookin! The recording and production are also top notch. Bireli sings on Chicago, Luck Be A Lady, You Make Me Feel So Young, and he does a scat on The Lady Is A Tramp. His voice is surprisingly good. He has good tonal quality, good pitch and he sings with plenty of feeling. The vocals don't last long, and the majority of time is given to the playing. I am a major fan of his playing, and I have most of his recordings and all of his DVD's (which I highly recommend). I hesitated to buy this release, as it had some vocals on it. I'm glad I got it, though. On the whole, it's a wonderful addition to Bireli's recordings."