Body and Soul
Chase Music Group
Gene Bertoncini-who plays the nylon-string acoustic guitar with his fingers, a situation ideally suited for solo work-creates sounds that are refined, elegant, and complex. His playing works a tune from the inside, fully exploring its harmonic, melodic, and textural implications much like a classical composer develops an idea on paper. While most of the material here is exceedingly familiar ("The Shadow of Your Smile," "Edelweiss," "Greensleeves") Bertoncini's treatments transform each tune into a unique statement that is constantly changing.