The Way I Play: Live In Chicago

On his album, The Way I Play, Bobby Broom explores the more traditional guitar-led trios in the manner of Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell. Broom, now in his second stint as a sideman with Sonny Rollins, made his Carnegie Hall debut with the sax legend at the tender age of 16. He has also played with Burrell, Stanley Turrentine, Dr. John and Miles. The Way I Play is the first live recording for his band, which includes longtime bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Kobie Watkins, recorded at what has been a weekly Chicago engagement since 1997. What transpires over the course of the eight songs is a document of a guitarist in his prime and of course, all three pieces hitting on all cylinders. Watkins plays with the ferocity needed to elevate the combo above the din of apathy at the venue. The disc of standards presents a working trio that is locked in with one another, readily apparent on "Strike Up the Band," "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Body and Soul." Broom even covers Rollins on "Airegin" with a confident looseness; his intimacy with the material translates into a real showcase for the guitarist's fretwork.