The very first release by the Concord label (recorded at the 1973 Concord Jazz Festival and now available on CD) was a quartet set featuring guitarists
Herb Ellis and
Joe Pass, bassist
Ray Brown, and drummer
Jake Hanna.
Ellis and
Pass (the latter was just beginning to be discovered) always made for a perfectly complementary team, constantly challenging each other. The boppish music (which mixes together standards with "originals" based on the blues and a standard) is quite enjoyable with the more memorable tunes including "Look for the Silver Lining," "Honeysuckle Rose," "Georgia," "Good News Blues," and "Bad News Blues." This was a strong start for what would become the definitive mainstream jazz label. [A Japanese edition was released in 2000.] ~ Scott Yanow