1999 from STONY PLAIN RECORDS

The versatile Duke Robillard has recorded blues, jump and swing records for Stony Plain - but now he's pulled a brand new move: A startling album of blues/jazz duets with the legendary guitarist, Herb Ellis.

There are seven killer tracks, with the guitarists in friendly, loose and relaxed mode, taking solos and ensemble passages with all the ease that two enormously experienced players can muster. There's steady support from Robillard rhythm section ( Marty Ballou on bass, Marty Richard on drums), and Ellis' rhythm guitarist Terry Holmes.

Ellis now in his late '70s, remains at the top of his game - as befits a player who came to prominence with Oscar Peterson's Trio and has duetted in the past with Joe Pass, Barney Kessel and Charlie Byrd. It's a tribute to Robillard that he now proves he ranks in such distinguished company.

The set starts out with the Lionel Hampton / Benny Goodman flagwaver "Flying Home ", taken at a much easier pace than usual, and runs through three Robillard originals, a rarely-covered Duke Ellington tune (Just Squeeze Me), a Coleman Hawkins piece with a boppish riff, and another old swing classic "Avalon" that was associated with Benny Goodman.