Remembered another favorite musical act which I'd had on LP, but never transitioned over to CD. Decided to download some.
Found their 1974 live LP had been reissued on CD in 1994, but with the ENTIRE concert presented instead of just excerpts. Although lightly edited it still contains elements you don't often hear on live releases (but do in concert) like the between-song banter, stage announcements, the band talking to each other during numbers... Not that this album is full of non-musical elements. Far from it.
George Barnes is an old timer guitarist (first ever to record an electric guitar, in 1931) who during his 50 year career appeared on literally thousands of recordings, soundtracks, commercials, etc. There wasn't a style he couldn't play. He's one of those players who is so fluid and easy he makes the guitar sing. Very smooth and open style, with each note distinct and lots of expressive pitch bends.
His partner in this short-lived collaboration (1973-1975) was Reuben Braff, a short Brooklyn-born cornetist who played with absolutely no vibrato. His tone is as pure as a sine wave, which is unusual. He too plays with a lot of sliding notes, making his horn much more expressive than normal for a brass player.
The two of them are backed by a rhythm guitarist and a bassist, who play solidly underneath them but never solo.
The musical telepathy between these two lead players is uncanny, as they take melodies and turn them inside out and upside down. Sometimes the guitar and the cornet are so tight together they sound like one instrument. Sometimes they do a call-and-response, sometimes they harmonize with each other, sometimes they alternate so fast it's dizzying.
I listened to the whole thing four times after burning it, and I still can't get enough of it.
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