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Andy Brown, Soloist (Delmark)
In his liner note essay, Brown mentions ten guitarists he admires, some of them famous (Andres Segovia, Joe Pass, Chet Atkins), others heroes in the guitar community who are barely known to general audiences (Kenny Poole, Ted Greene). Having absorbed the work of all the players he credits with inspiration, Brown makes it plain that he has internalized their lessons and shaped an individual approach. Reminiscent of George Van Eps in terms of masterly chording and avoidance of technical display for its own sake, he has a distinctive way of integrating bass lines in his improvisations. He plays fingerstyle on all but one of the 14 pieces. “Stompin’ at the Savoy†is a prime example of his swing, “Nina Never Knew†of his lyricism. Brown is not widely known beyond Chicago and environs. This album may change that.