Charlie Byrd Trio - Live in New Orleans
The fact that the late Charlie Byrd was a jazzman who plied his trade on  a nylon-stringed Spanish guitar, making him the biggest fish in a pretty small  pond, takes nothing away from this masterful performance by the guitarist and  his trio. Recorded in 1990 at Duke's Place in New Orleans, the 55-minute, 11-song gig finds Byrd, bassist (and brother) Joe Byrd, and drummer Chuck Redd  covering familiar material by the likes of Fats Waller ("Jitterbug Waltz"),  Antonio Carlos Jobim ("Corcovado" and a brilliant "Wave"), Duke Ellington  ("Satin Doll"), Thelonious Monk ("Blue Monk"), and others. Excellent sound  (Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0) and superb camera work (the close-ups along the  guitar neck showing Byrd's finger-picking technique are especially good) enhance  a performance that may not be especially exciting (don't expect any burning,  fret-grinding solos here) but is nonetheless a clinic in masterful jazz  musicianship. Byrd lives!--Sam Graham