The Jimmy Bruno Group – Midnight Blue

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Midnight Blue

I dunno… sometimes it seems silly to review things like this. Everyone who follows jazz guitar knows Jimmy Bruno is a knock-down monster player with both chops and soul. In fact, technically, he’s about as good as it gets. So you see what I mean… it’s hard to come up with superlatives to describe him, without being redundant.

Well, one thing I can say about this one is it’s a little sidestep for Jimmy. Most of his records are straight-ahead bop efforts, but here, there’s some funk and soul. Not James Brown-style funk, but organ-trio funk that gets good and greasy and makes you smile and move. Not surprisingly, Jimmy’s soloing is funky, and it swings. The cover of Coltrane’s “Impressions” shows what this album is about; it swings hard and lets Jimmy do what he does best – fly on the guitar.

I don’t know what else to say about this one. If you have any interest in jazz guitar, get hip to Bruno. His work is all fun, and stunning for both his skills and his feel. Start here if you like – you won’t be disappointed.



This article originally appeared in VG‘s Feb ’02 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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