Sapphire Blue in Bloomington, MN

Larry Carlton
may not have been issuing records in the United States with any regularity, but
Sapphire Blue
proves he hasn't been sitting on his hands, either. It's
Carlton
's first
blues
-oriented album in many years. Featuring a large band with a complete horn section,
Reese Wynans
on B-3,
Matt Rollings
on Rhodes piano,
Terry McMillan
on piano, and others,
is in fine, even understated form here. This group plays like a band with a soloist at its center, not like a bunch of paid hacks backing up a guitar whiz. Witness the gorgeous horn charts by
Jim Horn
on
"Friday Night Shuffle,"
and the triple melody line in
"A Pair of Kings."
The laid-back, jazzy
feel of
"Night Sweats,"
with a memorable groove and minimal horn punctuations, leaves
's guitar room to jam inside a warm space. The title track is a
B.B. King
-style groover -- a la 1970 -- with a stinging, slightly distorted guitar sound from
. This isn't the
, it is
, played soulfully and with considerable musicianship that forgoes flash for feeling, albeit muted by pristine production.
's fans may puzzle over this one a bit because of its concentration on aesthetic beauty and relative purity, but those who weren't paying attention should sit up and take notice. [The China import features the bonus track
"335."
] ~ Thom Jurek