SHAZAM

It's virtually impossible to imagine modern music without the contributions of Les Paul. Not only was he a brilliant jazz guitarist with no fear of pop or country, he literally laid the framework for how a good electric guitar should be made when he designed his famous Les Paul model for Gibson Guitars. Add in the fact that he single-handedly invented multi-track recording with the release of "Lover" in 1948, and his influence is pervasive, if not always acknowledged, even in today's 21st century hip-hop world. Singer Mary Ford was no slouch, either, and her carefully phrased but yet casual sounding vocals gave the pair's "duets" a kind of sleek, sultry soulfulness. There are examples of all of it collected here, from the multi-layered lightning instrumental precision of 1948's "Lover" to Mary's timeless, hushed (with just the hint of regret) multi-tracked vocal version of "Vaya con Dios" from 1951, making this a nicely balanced introduction to this remarkable duo, although calling the whole set Guitar Legends doesn't seem quite apt. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi