Live at the Village Vanguard

It might be more concise to list what musical genres hasn't explored than the ones he has, but his approach to the guitar has often reflected the freedom, reinvention, and elastic boundaries of jazz, no matter what the specific context. On this date, recorded in mid-2012 during a handful of shows at one of New York's most iconic venues, gives himself the luxury of stretching out with a pair of gifted accompanists, bassist (who worked with , one of 's key influences) and drummer (a veteran of and ), and the result is one of 's most explicitly jazz-focused dates in some time. certainly embraces 's particular tastes in jazz, featuring two compositions ("The Wizard" and "Bells") as well as two pieces recorded by ("Sun Ship" and "Dearly Beloved") and a pair of old standards ("Old Man River" and "I'm Confessin' [That I Love You]"). In the grand tradition of the genre, the key here is the interplay between the musicians, not simply the bandleader, though the sharp report of 's tone and the volleys of notes he fires off during the more extreme passages will sound more than familiar to anyone acquainted with his work. On the standards, , , and may seem relaxed, but they dig deep into the melodies and find rich, expressive treasure despite the deceptively accessible surfaces. And as the trio explores the selections from 's songbooks, the communication between the players is total, with each in full flight as individuals and as a group, honoring the masters and finding a voice of their own at the same time. The great free jazz guitarist once quipped that he didn't consider himself a guitarist, but a sax player with a very messed-up horn; suggests a bit of the same thinking lurks inside , but in spite of that, he and his axe seem to be getting along just fine. ~ Mark Deming