Add Jimmy Bruno and Joe Beck's Polarity to a list of stellar recent jazz guitar duo albums that includes Jim Hall and Pat Metheny's self-titled disc and Sylvain Luc and Bireli Lagrene's Duet, among others. To a large exten... more »t, the uniqueness of the sound on Polarity is due to the instrumentation: Bruno plays a custom-built 7-string guitar and Beck emotes through an even more unusual "alto guitar," which extends his low and high ranges and makes him sound at times almost like a piano. The novel guitars aren't the only thing that sets this record apart, though. Bruno and Beck, both enormously accomplished and technically astute, blend here with a chemistry that may be surprising to jazz guitar fans familiar with the difference between their styles. Aside from Beck's beautiful solo rendition of "Tenderly" and some delicate soloing by him on "Estate," the album mainly sets Bruno's dexterous and inventive bebop runs against Beck's lush chordal accompaniment--an arrangement that brings out the best in each player (as on the luminous version of "Eleanor Rigby" and a sizzling take of "Cherokee") without compromising a thing. --Ezra Gale« less
Add Jimmy Bruno and Joe Beck's Polarity to a list of stellar recent jazz guitar duo albums that includes Jim Hall and Pat Metheny's self-titled disc and Sylvain Luc and Bireli Lagrene's Duet, among others. To a large extent, the uniqueness of the sound on Polarity is due to the instrumentation: Bruno plays a custom-built 7-string guitar and Beck emotes through an even more unusual "alto guitar," which extends his low and high ranges and makes him sound at times almost like a piano. The novel guitars aren't the only thing that sets this record apart, though. Bruno and Beck, both enormously accomplished and technically astute, blend here with a chemistry that may be surprising to jazz guitar fans familiar with the difference between their styles. Aside from Beck's beautiful solo rendition of "Tenderly" and some delicate soloing by him on "Estate," the album mainly sets Bruno's dexterous and inventive bebop runs against Beck's lush chordal accompaniment--an arrangement that brings out the best in each player (as on the luminous version of "Eleanor Rigby" and a sizzling take of "Cherokee") without compromising a thing. --Ezra Gale
Philip Gardner | Melbourne, Australia | 02/14/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a superb recording. It's warm and intricate without being dull or over technical. It is both for guitar players, because of the lively and interesting playing of Bruno's solos and the rich underpinning of Beck's alto guitar playing rhythm, as well as for the general jazz listener because of the smoothness and variety. It's impossible not to like their version of Eleanor Rigby. The warm tone of the guitars welcomes you in to the music. Be careful of this recording - you'll play it so often that it will get inside your head and won't leave room for other things!"
5 stars are not enough
Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 12/13/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"OK. That day after the amazon.com samples I went out and bought the album (sorry Amazon!). I came back home late that night with my copy of Polarity in my bag and I was really tired and was dreaming to go to bed. But I was also curious to hear just few notes from this cd just to be sure of what I heard here on Amazon.com. Well, I sat down on my sofà planning to go to bed in a couple of minutes. But something went wrong. I couldn't decide to stop this marvel and go to bed. It is a record of shere perfection. I ended up to listen to all the music contained in Polarity, than after a joious listening I went to bed. With still the echo of that perfect music in my head. Best guitar record I bought in a couple of years. Believe me."
Sizzle and Smoke
Guy Rittger | Sonoma, CA | 03/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Jimmy Bruno is quite possibly the hottest bop guitarist that nobody has heard of, and whose amazing chops place him firmly in the circle of great Philly jazz guitarists like Pat Martino. Listening to Bruno's blistering single-note solos on cuts like "Summertime"(!!!) remind the listener that bebop has always been about taking instrumental performance to the outer limits of the imagination.
And yet... Bruno's fretboard pyrotechnics are beautifully balanced by the rich, warm textures of Joe Beck's artful accompaniment, the net result being an album that simultaneously sizzles and smokes.
This CD and the rest of Bruno's work should be in every jazz guitar-lovers collection. Next step for me: a Roger Sadowsky "Jimmy Bruno" model archtop guitar."
Samples are enough to judge.
Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 12/11/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Here is an example of the fact that sometime samples found here on Amazon[.com] are enough to judge an album. This is a perfect one. These two players mesh beautifully in a setting which is one of the best to fully appreciate the depth of jazz rhythms, melodies and harmonies. Two guitars are enough to feel the swing, to feel the b5's and the b9's under your skin. Jimmy is a fantastic bopper, and Joe Beck comp with the right attitude and taste. I'm just going to buy this one. Bop!"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
