Until It's Time

Personnel: Jack Wilkins (guitar); Jon Cowherd (piano, organ); Mark Ferber (drums); Samuel Torres (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Hal Winer.
Liner Note Author: Jack Wilkins .
Recording information: BiCoastal Music, Ossining, NY (10/12/2006).
Arrangers: Jack Wilkins ; Jeff Barone.
Jack Wilkins has long been regarded by his peers as one of the top jazz guitarists around. On UNTIL IT'S TIME, Wilkins demonstrates not only his diversity of interests, but also his ability to take fresh approaches to familiar tunes. For example, Burt Bacharach's "Arthur's Theme" was at best an innocuous tune from the movie starring Dudley Moore, played as a leisurely pop ballad and blandly sung by Christopher Cross; Wilkins modifies it into a breezy Latin setting, showcasing his superb chops, adding Latin percussionist Samuel Torres. There are two mellow takes of folk-rocker James Taylor's "Blossom" with pianist Jon Cowherd switching to organ. Wilkins himself switches to acoustic guitar for his intimate interpretation of folksinger Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Until It's Time for You to Go," which ventures even further into pop than "Blossom." His brisk midtempo scoring of "Airegin" (often played ridiculously fast) is a refreshing change, while the easygoing treatment of Henry Mancini's "Two for the Road" is a lyrical affair. Jazz guitarist Johnny Smith's "Walk Don't Run" became a surprise mainstream hit in the early '60s, though it had been pretty much ignored for decades until Wilkins came up with this sizzling arrangement, while his rapid-fire interpretation of the Latin favorite "Tico Tico" also shows off his formidable chops.