A Night At The Vanguard

The Detroit native Kenny Burrell’s playing typifies the art of jazz guitar. He’s been recording since the 1950s and his bop-rooted sound can be heard on dozens and dozens of releases. *A Night at the Vanguard* captures Burrell, along with drummer Roy Haynes and bassist Richard Davis, performing at the legendary New York nightspot in 1959. (The album was originally released as an LP in 1960; it was reissued in 1966 with the title, *Man at Work*.) This set of eight songs finds the trio in fine form, and it’s a delight to hear Burrell’s warm, full-bodied tone as he winds his way through blues, ballads, and other numbers. *A Night at the Vanguard* opens with an original, the bluesy “All Night Long,” where the guitarist nimbly riffs on the familiar form. “Broadway” features a nice exchange of succinct statements between Burrell and Haynes. The guitarist is a great lover of Ellington, and there’s an easygoing version of “Just A-Sittin’ and A-Rockin’” to prove it. The album closes with a mellow, smoothed-out version of the Monk classic, “Well, You Needn’t.”