Peter Bernstein - Signs Live!

The Guardian 80

(Smoke Sessions)

Lovers of jazz guitar nod in that knowing way when the name of Peter Bernstein is mentioned. He is a big name on the New York scene, with an impeccable history of collaboration with the best. His partners here are pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, which says it all. At this level, virtuosity comes as standard and Bernstein, having nothing to prove, gets on with creating improvised lines, sometimes intricate, sometimes sweetly simple, but always fascinating. The interplay among the four musicians on this live double album is something to marvel at too, a dazzling display of mutual understanding and instant reaction.