Jazz guitar hero Bobby Broom continues to march forward while also looking back. This 10-song collaboration with the famed Chicago Jazz Orchestra, led by artistic director Jeff Lindberg, allows this renowned group to spread its wings while celebrating the great Wes Montgomery.
Broom is a perfect choice as a guitar collaborator. Well known for his tone, taste and economy, Broom soars on “West Coast Blues,” a Montgomery composition arranged by Tom Garling, who brilliantly combines the orchestra’s swagger with Broom’s hefty leads. Garland also handles the arrangements for “Fried Pies,” another one of my favorites from More Amor: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery.
The Bernstein and Sondheim classic “Somewhere” is well-known and often covered. Yet, in this setting, the Alex Brown-arranged song is striking and vividly new. Pianist Dan Trudell weaves a delicate tapestry with the string section. At the same time, Bobby Broom’s hollow-body guitar handles the central theme with all the nuance and precision required from this classic composition.
The Charlie Harrison-arranged version of “Baubles, Bangles and Beads” is almost as powerful. The jaunty rhythm provided by Broom’s longtime drummer Kobie Watkins and bassist Dennis Carroll seamlessly meshes with the powerful brass accompliment. Broom offers a very satisfying solo before the equally effective tenor solo provides a change of mood.
The album closes with “Boss City,” transcribed by Jeff Lindberg and arranged by Oliver Nelson. This Montgomery original underscores the variety of arrangements and moods found the LP. Percussion, horns and the rhythm section add an unmistakable strut. The trumpet solo swings for the fences and inspires Broom to add additional gas to the fire.
More Amor: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery was recorded in 2023 at Philharmonic Studios in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Judging from these 10 tracks, it must have been a magical session as each song has a distinctive personally and each arranger appears unconstrained by what came before.
Meanwhile, Bobby Broom proves yet again why he’s one of the living legends of jazz guitar.
