Robillard and Ellis in worthy follow-up
07/20/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Duke and Herb revisit most of the heights from their earlier "Conversations in Swing Guitar." Like the earlier CD, the liner notes for this one attribute Duke to the right channel and Herb to the left channel. I know Herb's style intimately, and this channel information is backwards! I wonder how many of the reviews of the earlier CD were confused by the misleading liner notes. In any case, Herb plays remarkable blues for an 80-year old man. Duke brings a fresh perspective and a few new tricks that complement Herb. One oddity is the late Terry Holmes' appearance on "Blues for Terry," a marvelous slow blues and the highlight of the CD. The liner notes for the earlier CD state that Holmes' solo there (on a CD released four years earlier) was his "last project." I can only conclude that the new CD, though released in 2003, includes at least a few tracks that were left over from the earlier 1999 session. Notwithstanding, if you like jazz, blues, and swing guitar, this CD is for you. Charlie Christian would be proud of his legacy!"