(Tweety Records)

Plain ‘n’ Simple, Chuck Loeb’s latest release, harkens back just a bit to his days in the guitar chair with jazz great Stan Getz. This project has the virtuosic Loeb swinging away with friends and family and the whole thing sounds fantastic. Joining Loeb is a solid rhythm section of Harvey Mason, powering the drums and Pat Bianchi providing the bass floor and organissimo on Hammond-B3. The trio plays a selection of mostly uptempo, original compositions by Loeb and Mason respectively. They’re joined by various guests, including bassist Will Lee, and saxophonist Eric Marienthal who delivers some killer solos on a couple of tracks.Vocalist Carmen Cuesta (also Loeb’s wife) provides the vocal on one tune, while daughter Lizzy brings a refreshingly fresh take on Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark”. This superb effort is a joy to hear from beginning to end.