Upper West Side Story

Chicago guitarist Broom has been turning in such strong work over so many years and in such different musical settings ? most notably with tenor saxophone legend Sonny Rollins ? that listeners might have forgotten what a distinctive voice he can be. "Upper West Side Story," Broom's homage to his early years in New York, will remind everyone of his stature as jazz musician, in part because it's his first featuring only original compositions. The expressive range of this music is wide, but Broom sounds equally appealing in the buoyant rhythms of "Call Me a Cab," the wistful strains of "When the Falling Leaves?" and the airborne lines of "D's Blues." Broom's fluidity as soloist goes without saying, and he enjoys obvious affinity with bassist Dennis Carroll and ? on alternating tracks ? drummers Kobie Watkins and Makaya McCraven. Broom may have grown up in New York, but he's now a Chicago treasure.