by Scott Yanow
This CD reissues the ten selections on guitarist Kenny Burrell's Cadet LP The Tender Gender, a version of &My Favorite Things& from a Christmas album and five selections from his 1967 date Ode to 52nd Street. The former set showcases Burrell with a quartet also including pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Marty Rivera and drummer Oliver Jackson, while the other numbers feature him accompanied by orchestras arranged by Richard Evans. Burrell plays typically tastefully throughout the performances, displaying a clear tone and a solid mastery of the bebop vocabulary. No real surprises occur except perhaps for the repertoire, which includes such unlikely numbers as &People,& &Girl Talk& (which works quite well) and &Wild Is the Wind.&