Herb Ellis, "Texas Swings" (1992)

NICK DERISO: When you think of guitarist Herb Ellis, it's bound to be in a head-wagging, and very rhythmic, jazz mode.

After all, Ellis is justly famous for longtime associations with pianist Oscar Peterson and singer Ella Fitzgerald. He sizzles (see embedded track below) on his own, too.

But Ellis had something else in mind on "Texas Swings" (Justice Records), a tribute to the sounds of his home-state roots. Growing up, he had a deep admiration for the flawless lone-star boogies of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys. Members of that great old group appear -- adding historical weight to a date that also includes simmering pianist Floyd Domino and country legend Willie Nelson in a rare sideman role on guitar.

That's why "Texas Swings," well played and inspired in its concept, remained in no small way shocking.

Ellis' groundbreaking path was eased here by a song list that features several tracks from his mainstream jazz past, including Bird's "Billie's Bounce," Earl Hines' "Rosetta," the standard "It Had to Be You." Others are American songbook favorites or Western tunes cast in a whole new, highly detailed light -- including "Sweet Georgia Brown," "That Old Rugged Cross" and "America the Beautiful."

Turns out, though it may have at first seemed like an odd detour, "Texas Swings" was a memorable, vital recording in the Ellis catalog -- at once new and redolent of everything that he had already become so well known for.

The album underscores the notion that Ellis' career was about building on the foundation of single-note southwest-inspired riffs of his youth. There is just the right amount of glowing Western swing on this one to update Ellis' bebop slang.

Or, is it the other way around?



Purchase: Herb Ellis - Texas Swings