Upper West Side Story

This recording marks the first time guitarist Bobby Broom has ever done a CD of only his own compositions. All of his melodies here, like the tricky blues vamp of ?Major Minor Mishap? and the sleek cool of ?Lazy Sundays? are attractive and provide good showcases for the dexterity and natural soul in his playing. His fat, laid back sound ,with traces of George Benson, is all over the set and once in a while he?ll go on a speedy, finger busting run that brings John McLaughlin to mind. The rhythm section, with Dennis Carroll on bass and either Kobie Watkins or Makaya McCraven on drums, is loose and springy matching all of Broom?s twists and turns nicely. Broom is as distinctive a player as any of the big name jazz guitarists and this is a fine example of what he can do.