One of the most prolific, respected, and all-around able jazz guitarists of his, or any, generation, Kenny Burrell (b. 1931) recorded Stormy Monday and Sky Street, which are paired herein, for Fantasy Records in mid-1974 and early 1975, respectively. Stormy Monday, featuring the much-underrated pianist Richard Wyands, finds Burrell in a typically after-hours mood, spotlighting the ballads and blues of which he has long been an acknowledged master. One of the premier interpreters of Duke Ellington, Burrell is particularly moving on "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)," which was done about a month after the Maestro's passing. Sky Street affords a relatively rare glimpse of Burrell's more contemporary side. Using a more aggressive tone, he's backed at times by electric piano and electric bass, occasionally delving into light funk and samba rhythms. He and his quintet(including reedman Jerome Richardson, who contributes two engaging originals here, and keyboardist Kirk Lightsey) sound completely at home in this style.

with Stanley Gilbert, Richie Goldberg, John Heard, Kirk Lightsey, Eddie Marshall, Lenny McBrowne, Jerome Richardson, Richard Wyands