Russ Spiegel: Nitty Gritty

The phrase Nitty Gritty has a number of meanings, among the most oft-repeated of which are "mundane," "ordinary" and "commonplace." Guitarist Russ Spiegel surely had another definition in mind when naming his seventh album, whose aftermath brings to mind several graphic expressions. But mundane, ordinary and commonplace are not among them.

Instead, words like seductive, panoramic and ambitious arise to describe the banquet that Spiegel and his (for the most part) organ trio have set before the listener. The landscape is wide, making room at times for soul, folk, blues, rock and Latin (samba and mambo). The musical choices are first-rate, encompassing songs by Hank Mobley, Duke Ellington, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, John Coltrane and Jimmy Giuffre alongside four of Spiegel's original compositions, Francis Lai's "A Man and a Woman" and Consuelo Velazquez' Latin classic, "Besame Mucho."

The group's adroit organist (and pianist on Spiegel's "Deep Brooklyn") is Jim Gasior. The attentive drummer is Lucas Apostoleris. They are joined on half a dozen tracks by electric bassist Kurt Hengstebeck, on four by tenor saxophonist Tim Armacost, each of whom adds succulent flavor to the mix. The trio gets things underway with Mobley's casual "Soul Station," then shifts into a light-hearted samba mode for Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss," usually played as a ballad. Lennon/McCartney's engrossing "Norwegian Wood" is next, followed by the album's title song, Spiegel's raspy "Nitty Gritty," and the sensuous "A Man and a Woman," wherein Armacost makes his first appearance.

The mournful "Deep Brooklyn" leads to "Besame Mucho" and the last of Spiegel's compositions, the bluesy "Lonely Buddha" and rock-based "Epic." Coltrane wrote the lively "26-2" (on which Armacost burns), Guiffre penned the iconic "Four Brothers," introduced in 1947 by Woody Herman's big band. In sum, a splendid trio-plus session with enough impressive music to please even the most scrupulous listener.

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