Personnel: Duke Robillard, Herb Ellis (guitar); Terry Holmes (acoustic guitar); Marty Ballou (bass); Marty Richards (drums).
Recorded at Lakewest Recording Studio, West Greenwich, Rhode Island. Includes liner notes by Richard Flohil and Duke Robilard.
Personnel: Duke Robillard (guitar); Herb Ellis (guitar); Terry Holmes (acoustic guitar).
Liner Note Authors: Duke Robillard; Richard Flohil.
Recording information: Lakewest Recording Studio West Greenwich, RI.
Photographer: Duke Robillard.
This is a not very challenging, but thoroughly charming, summit meeting between a blues guitar master and a jazz guitar legend. Taking four classic swing tunes ("Just Squeeze Me," "Avalon," "Stuffy," and, inevitably, "Flyin' Home"), two Robillard originals, and a jointly composed slow blues, and helped out by bassist Marty Ballou and drummer Marty Richards, Duke Robillard and Herb Ellis deliver a 48-minute swing guitar master class, Conversations in Swing Guitar. Ellis comes from jazz and Robillard from the blues, so their approaches are just distinct enough to keep things interesting; although both play with a clean, fat jazz tone and no one ever really hauls off and shreds, Robillard tends towards bent notes and funky chordal things while Ellis thinks a bit more in terms of long lines and florid ornamentation. Every so often you might find yourself wishing that the edges were just a bit rougher, but both of these guys are clearly having a great old time, and you will too. ~ Rick Anderson
