by Scott Yanow
Mark Whitfield has long had an attractive tone, and his melodic style is in the forefront throughout this fairly varied date. Accompanied by a 21-piece string orchestra arranged by Dale Oehler, Whitfield and his quartet mostly stick to standards. Fortunately, tempos are varied (although there are a few sleepy ballads) and Diana Krall has guest vocals on &Some Other Time& and &Early Autumn.& The strings generally do not add much, but Whitfield's inventive playing makes this a recommended set anyway. Highlights include &You Don't Know What Love Is,& &My One And Only Love,& an accompanied guitar feature on &I Want To Talk About You& and Whitfield's &Forever.&