by Scott Yanow
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.