On his eighth RAM Records release I Remember You, California-based jazz guitar guru Joe Diorio pays tribute to his good friend and musical hero, the late Wes Montgomery. Montgomery, who died in 1968, remains the standard by which all other modern jazz guitarists are judged. His thoughtful, fluid phrasing and trademark octave lines make for one of the most recognizable (and influential) voices in the history of jazz. While this recording contains nods to Montgomery's singular style, Diorio also manages to invoke the exuberance and intricacy of his friend's playing without resorting to imitation - a feat that few other guitarists are capable of when it comes to Montgomery. In taking Montgomery as the inspiration for their fresh, arresting improvisations, Diorio's trio - which also includes Steve LaSpina on bass and Steve Bagby on drums - pays Wes the highest compliment possible.

Diorio's keen melodic sense and halcyon tone are evident from the beaming opening notes of "I Remember You," an upbeat standard that encapsulates Diorio's fond memories of Montgomery. But Diorio is hardy a one-sided player. His first solo runs the gamut from gutsy staccato riffs to sophisticated motivic sequences; Diorio is capable of incorporating these diverse elements without sounding disparate or confused, lending his solos an air of fascinating unpredictability. His hard-edged take on "Invitation" is an exercise in unrelenting musical fervor, as Diorio dashes off silky, equable lines whose luminous beauty is matched only by their heady content.

"Reflections of Wes" is a bittersweet eulogy for Diorio's late friend. This luxuriant chord melody - performed unaccompanied - is tinged with sadness, expressing both the tragedy of Montgomery's absence and the hope that Wes' spirit will live on through his recordings and his ubiquitous influence. This wistful mood carries over into the trio's performance of Duke Ellington's classic "In Sentimental Mood." The care and precision of this reading are as striking for their near-perfect craftsmanship as for the delicate, slow- burning passion they engender. On the guitar/drums duet "More or Less" and the loping, contrapuntal trio excursion "Estate," Diorio ventures into looser, more exploratory territory, calling to mind Montgomery's legendary (though unrecorded) collaborations with John Coltrane's quartet.

Diorio's trio is a model of organic give-and-take. Bassist LaSpina and drummer Bagby are longtime musical cohorts. Their chemistry causes the music to swell with ideas and exchanges, sounding as full as any quartet or quintet. LaSpina's supple lines both anchor and impel the group's creation. One moment his bass is grounding Diorio's flights with woody walking lines and drones; the next, he is stepping up to the forefront to interject a filigree, or provoke the others with a dissonant fragment. Bagby's drumming is a model of tasteful support, accentuating the interplay of Diorio and LaSpina with his sparkling, unfailing swing.