Wisteria

Personnel: Jimmy Raney (guitar); Tommy Flanagan (piano).
Recording information: Manhattan Recording Studio, New York, NY (12/30/1985/12/05/1990); Van Gelder Recorking Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (12/30/1985/12/05/1990).
Photographers: Johan Bijkerk; Y. Hughes.
Guitarist Jimmy Raney had lived in Europe for some time when he recorded this trio set with pianist Tommy Flanagan and bassist George Mraz, but he had lost none of his fire or drive. The quiet yet hard-swinging guitarist, still in prime form at age 58, performs his own "Ovals," an original by Mraz, two lesser-known Benny Golson tunes and the standards "I Could Write a Book" and "Everything I Love." The interplay between the three musicians is impressive, and the subtle creativity makes repeated listenings of the modern mainstream music quite valuable. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow