THE JOSHUA BREAKSTONE QUARTET

WONDERFUL featuring BARRY HARRIS

Capri Records, Ltd.

Joshua Breakstone, guitar; Barry Harris, piano; Leroy Williams, drums; Earl Sauls, bass.

Joshua Breakstone has released well over a dozen albums, including tributes to Thelonious Monk, Wes Montgomery and Bud Powell.  However, this album, recorded and originally released in 1983, celebrates a young Joshua Breakstone.  He was only twenty-seven when he recorded his first album as a leader titled, “Wonderful.”  And wonderful it is!

They open with the title tune, a Gershwin classic and swing their way into my listening room.  Even as a young guitarist, his talent is palpable.  Back then, Downbeat magazine called him “among the best” of young jazz guitarists. His performance is playful and energetic.  This awesome album is chronicling  a young lion who is roaring at the start of a brilliant career.

“This recording documents the germ of musical ideas that were just beginning to flower in my approach to playing jazz,” quotes Joshua in his press package.

This album is being reissued on CD for the first time. Breakstone interprets several jazz standards including Tadd Dameron’s “Soul Train” and the melodic slow swing arrangement of  “Time On My hands.”  He has also written two originals for this project including “This is It!” and “Sevens-up.”

The Joshua Breakstone Quartet begins “This is It!” with a solo guitar that sets the tempo and groove.  When the band jumps in, the swing takes off.  The arrangement drags me along, with Leroy Williams lending his drum rhythms to the magic of the moment.  Earl Sauls walks his bass with precision, balancing the rhythm section by locking grooves with the Williams drums.  Joshua Breakstone races with improvised notes that flutter through space like wild birds. I love this song.  When Barry Harris enters, his piano lifts the music a notch higher.  The musicians trade fours with Leroy’s drums and give the percussionist time to soak up the spotlight.  However, the sparkle belongs to Joshua Breakstone on his guitar. He is the star of this show!

It’s lovely to hear how he sounded forty-two years ago.  Clearly, he has grown to an even higher excellence over time and creative expansion. Listening to this gem of a recording, I can hear and enjoy early Breakstone and appreciate the artist he has become.

Joshua Breakstone closes with a nod to someone who has greatly inspired him, a tune by Django Reinhardt called “Django’s Castle.”

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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