Triple Stop

To some people, jazz and country might seem an unlikely combination, but in fact, there's a long history of the two being combined. Jimmy Rodgers performed a duet with Louis Armstrong in 1930, and Bob Wills' Western swing successfully bridged the gap between Benny Goodman and hillbilly music. Further, jazz was an influence on major country-pop greats like Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson. So when you take all those things into consideration, it shouldn't be all that shocking that guitarist Scotty Anderson, who is primarily a jazz-blues instrumentalist, brings some definite country and bluegrass influence to Triple Stop. Chet Atkins and Merle Travis are among Anderson's major influences, and there are times when his twangy playing brings to mind Herb Ellis (a Texas hard bopper who also plays with a twang). Anderson's chops are impressive, but technique is hardly the only thing that he has going for him — the Cincinnati resident plays with a lot of heart on material that ranges from Horace Silver's "Nutville" to Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender" to "The Theme From 'Perry Mason.'" You can't help but admire his eclectic taste in music; it isn't every day that someone interprets Stan Kenton's "Artistry in Rhythm" and the traditional "John Henry" on the same CD. Unfortunately, Anderson hasn't done a lot of recording over the years; this 2000 date was the first album he had recorded as a leader since Sleight of Hand in 1985. Triple Stop isn't for jazz purists, but the CD is quite pleasing if you're the sort of eclectic listener who holds jazz, blues, and country in equally high regard.