Variations

This is quietly accomplished, mainstream guitar stuff. With solid and slightly understated rhythm work, Cotsirilos� buoyant playing and generally sunny lyricism generally shine. After the brisk, at times dense work of the opener, the slightly lazy �I Know You Know� brims with some fine post-Wes octaves and hints at the melody for �Blame It On My Youth.� At times Cotsirilos has just the slightest trouble on his double-time runs but in general his playing impresses. Fisher is solid in support, with well-structured harmonic accompaniment and some occasionally fine solos. Marabuto is a fairly laidback player, one whose style suits the choice of material: the slightly lazy acoustic ballad �Doce Presenca� or the waltz-time �Sambrosia,� the laconic �Blues for the J Man� (with some tasty intervallic work from the leader), and the affectionate reading of �But Beautiful.� Things are more engaging when they make some moderate rhythmic mischief, as with the stop-time moments built in to the ballad �Chimera,� the quirky semi-samba �1937,� and the jaunty, ebullient closer, which occasionally reminded me somehow of mid-1970s John Abercrombie. Generally well done, even if it�s hard to get worked up over something so chilled out.