Edwin Alley
Dmac, 2023
8/10
The inimitable guitarist Doug MacDonald brings Mike Flick and Kendall Kay to these 8 originals and a standard that emit a straight forward jazz formula we could never tire of.
“Zoot And Pepper” starts the listen with Flick’s bouncy bass and MacDonald’s warm guitar interacting with much friskiness, and “EYWOW/Is This It” follows with meticulous guitar playing making for a mesmerizing and melodic intro into Kay’s drumming acrobatics.
In the middle, “Three For Two” illustrates the dynamic chemistry between the rhythm section as MacDonald’s playful guitar guides the jazz climate, while “Groove Blues” is indeed packed with grooves amid the stylish blues ideas.
Approaching the end, “Rapini” matches the strategic bass with the glowing guitar lines, and “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” exits with a busy and dance floor ready album highlight.
It’s actually pretty hard to keep track of how many records MacDonald has released in the last 5 years, but each one radiates in it own light and the quality of the songwriting and delivery never ceases to amaze anyone with an ear for jazz sounds.
Travels well with: Doug MacDonald- Big Band Extravaganza; Dave Stryker- Prime