No One New

Joshua Breakstone's fifth recording for the Capri label, and 19th as a leader over 30 years, keeps on the straight-ahead path that has held the fine jazz guitarist in good stead. With exceptional assistance from veteran experts like bassist Lisle Atkinson and drummer Eliot Zigmund, Breakstone is in good company, playing two standards and six originals, all reflective of the good fortune he has enjoyed in the pocket of the modern mainstream. These titles less than subtly suggest that he's languished in obscurity while also being able to do his own thing, with few if any commercial considerations. He's also further refined an approach to the guitar that any fan of his instrument can easily enjoy, especially if you like the single-line string theory approach to making melodies, as established by Kenny Burrell. Breakstone is an expert extracting tiny notes out of his six-string, as heard on the lithe composition "Over-Done" (which should not be read as "Overdone" -- the hyphen perfectly divides the thoughts), molded in the image of Burrell's patience and virtue. Distinct themes of older tunes are hinted at here and there: the effortless, soulful self-portrait "For Me" uses a phrase from "One Mint Julep"; Atkinson's "Come on Baby" is a parallel to the Sonny Rollins evergreen "Doxy"; "Blues Heretofore" borrows from Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Gentle Rain"; and the bopper "No One New" is based on the changes of "It's You or No One," but also sounds a bit like "Secret Love." Throughout the program, the trio members prove their seasoning and veteran leadership, resulting in a musicality that is second to none. A cover of the famed Jimmy Rowles ballad "The Peacocks" is a sad song made more melancholy by these three. A comedic typo calls this a "hunting" song when it should be "haunting." The closer is "The Kicker," a Joe Henderson-penned standard done with quick stop-start accents via Zigmund's precise drumming -- a great interpretation. Through his substantial career, Joshua Breakstone has made many such solid but unspectacular recordings with very little fanfare or overt pyrotechnics to pump them up to an image-conscious public. While he always needs a little more press, this crafted and thoughtful music stands up well on its own without the hype or bursting accolades. Perhaps the listener will also pursue investigating his entire, consistently rendered discography, or get to a live performance of this humble and well-heeled -- nay, underappreciated -- jazz guitar master. ~ Michael G. Nastos