Mark Whitfield

Forever Love

Verve

Ever since Whitfield arrived on the jazz scene, he has proven himself a jazz guitar virtuoso. His latest album only confirms his talents as a musician, but it nonetheless will leave many jazz fans frowning. Other than the swinging rendition of “Nature Boy,” in which the orchestration is deftly interwoven, the strings tend to get in the way, interfering with the swing and softening the overall sound. Moreover, the two tracks featuring vocals suffer at the hands of an overly melodramatic Diana Krall. When left to his own devices, however, as on “My One and Only Love,” “I Wanna Talk About You” and “Some Other Spring,” Whitfield shines. At times reminiscent of flamenco and classical guitar, he displays great range, touch and technique.

— J. Drew Todd