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Piano, acoustic bass, and guitar — with 240 strings between them — in the hands of these masters, they come together for a clean, warm sound that swings from here till Sunday.

source: Amazon.com

I'm a sucker for this album. They've simply got me pegged. Let me count the ways:

Elegant album-cover design. Just look at that beauty, with crisp typography, its use of color as economical as the swinging trio inside, the modernism of the letterforms balancing the organic cloudscape, the road as straight as any of those 240 strings. (I've kept the graphic large so you can get a sense of what I'm talking about.)

Ray Brown's acoustic bass. It's not easy to record a double bass with the warmth and clarity you'll hear here. And of course it's not easy to play it with Brown's restrained genius. He knows just when to lay back, just when to step up.

Herb Ellis's guitar. Many people know Ellis from his long years playing in the Oscar Peterson trio, and that's reason enough to love him. But you'll be richly rewarded to watch for his name as a sideman in many other settings, too. This album is a great example.

Monty Alexander's piano. This guy is cool. On this album, he has a light touch to complement his more soft-spoken comrades, and the resulting conversation is a privilege to listen in on.

A bargain. This two-CD set contains two previous LP releases: Trio (1981) and Overseas Special (1984). So what's not to like?

The phrase "straight ahead" is sometimes used these days as a put-down for old-fashioned, buttoned-up jazz. But just like the road on that cover, when you're riding with Monty, Ray, and Herb, straight ahead can take you a long way.

Considered in this review: Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, and Herb Ellis, Straight Ahead (Concord, 2003).

first published Dec 6, 2004