A great album. I saw John last year in Salt Lake. Aspiring jazz guitarists visited from out of state for John's free clinic at University of Utah the afternoon just before the show.
His band is consummate entertainment and highly recommended. John interacts with and has much fun with the audience throughout the show (describing himself as "the
other crooner from New Jersey"). John is a walking jazz history book, telling stories of growing up with his father Bucky (plays solo on Satin Doll on the CD), Joe Pass, and Les Paul.
This is great exhibition of 7-string guitar playing. The lowest fundamental for 6-string guitar normal tuning is 82 Hz E (bass guitar and double bass are tuned one octave below the four lowest notes of a 6-string guitar). The 7-string's lowest fundamental is B. One song John plays you'd swear has bass accompaniment, but it's a solo. The extra string results in John using his thumb (curved over the top of the neck) much more than 6-string players. Another result of the low-B is a thicker, richer bass flavor to the instrument. For a striking difference in arch top tone, right after playing John's CD, play the Frank Vignola Trio's Live In New York.
The recording quality is excellent, great staging/imaging, super dynamic. Bass and center channel are both slightly hot for my taste on my system, but easily cured at the preamp remote (pure analog Bongiorno Trinaural Processor, stereo input/3.1 output connects to multi-channel analog preamp with remote channel trim).
