Anthony employs that quintessential jazz tone--thick plummy and warm--with just enough of that treble edge to provide an attack and focus to each note. The playing is inventive without being too explorative, and like Roberts, Montgomery, and to a lesser degree, Kessel, his solos unfold with a masterful inevitability. Tunes include "Beautiful Love," "When I Fall In Love," "Come Rain or Shine," "Strike Up The Band," and "The Breeze And I."

The Breeze and I forms a bright opener, beautifully reharmonized, with echoes of Howard Roberts in the driving single-line work. Check out Anthony's masterful block chording in the last chorus of his solo. He gets a great tone on the chordal intro to "Beautiful Love," some pretty neat voicings too, followed by an intense but relaxed groove (a la Stan Getz style). Other high points include the unaccompanied rendition of "When I Fall In Love," and the medium tempo reading of "With A Song In My Heart," a tune that appears to be coming back into fashion with jazz guitarists. This is a find CD that shouldn't be overlooked.

Reviewed by Adrian Ingram