Mutual Street

by Scott YanowWhen one thinks of jazz duos, the combination of valve trombone and guitar rarely comes to mind. Back in the early '80s, Rob McConnell (leader of the Boss Brass) and his regular guitarist Ed Bickert cut ten duets that are full of wit, swing and creative ideas despite the lack of variation in the instrumental colors. One rarely notices the absence of other musicians on this CD reissue, since Bickert is an expert chorder and McConnell plays bass notes behind the guitar solos. A fun session and an unexpected success.