Search - Lenny Breau & Chet Atkins :: Standard Brands

Unparalled acoustic duo

R. Webb | Brooksville, Fl. United States | 02/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here is a cd that is perfectly balanced. As with Lenny's other cd's the interplay here is fantastic. However what makes this cd different is that it is sometimes difficult to tell Lenny's playing from Chet's. It was as if they were reading each others mind. Much like the recordings of Bill Evans and Scott Lafaro. Lenny seemed to be more intrested here in matching Chet's playing than in the "Chance Meeting" recording with Tal Farlow. Of course this cd features the Atkins style of playing.Which in itself is excellent.However these two pushed each other to new hights of brillance. One final note as far as I know "One Way Records" still ownes the rights to this recording and it is long out of print.You might want to try the Amazon marketplace sellers that sell Lenny,s other cd's. It is well worth the search."

Go out and FIND this CD!

Glen Murley | Sagamore Beach, MA United States | 03/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a huge Lenny Breau fan for about 5 years. And I have bought everything he has released. And sold some of it. His work is not consistent in it's quality. Some of it is poorly edited and some of it just has a song selection that is not my tastes. But this CD is easily his best!



I looked for this CD for years. And to be honest I wasn't too crazy to buy it. Chet Atkins' talent is qithout question, but in general it's not my favorite style. So Lenny and Chet was something I was more interested in hearing for the sake of completion.



I found it on an online auction and paid 42.00 for it. Wich is actually 58.00 less than the price I found elsewhere. And I finally got it, popped it in, and was blown away. I mean literally blown away. The recording is crystal clear. The song selection is really high quality if you love jazz. And the playing is amongst the highest calibur you'll ever find on a Lenny Breau CD.



Lenny and Chet play off each other the way Simon and Garfunkel did. It's pure magic. Honestly. It's enjoyable to hear them hand the lead off to each other. Neither of them is trying to grab the limelight. And the comping is an art all to itself. There isn't a single dud on this CD.



If you liked Ted Green's SOLO cd, then do whatever it takes to find this. Just get a copy of it if you can find it. You will not be dissapointed.



Some FYI, Lenny plays a nylon string while Chet plays a standard acoustic. The mix is excellent and sounds as though it was recorded in a very high quality studio. The songs are very much straight-ahead jazz. Some country picking style, but not overpowering at all. You do hear them talk to each other during the playing, but it's very infrequent. The entire set has a very impromtu feel to it. Nice and loose atmosphere. But the playing is tight and precise, just as you would expect from Lenny and Chet.



In closing, if you're a Lenny Breau fan, FIND this CD. Why on earth the release sub-par junk that they find in a basement and yet leave this gem out of print is beyond me. Don't wait two years to get this like I did. Good luck!"