Joe Puma - It's a Blue World (1997/2019)

Joe Puma may be a peripheral jazz guitarist, but he possesses world-class chops on this 1999 outing. A former replacement for Tal Farlow in Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five, Puma shows a strong chord melody style on the heads and flexible improvisation utilizing single string lines and block chording. With only Murray Wall on bass and Eddie Locke on drums, Puma negotiates his way through a set of jazz standards like "I'll Remember April," "Sweet Sue," and the title track with consummate ease and flair. If you love traditional jazz guitar with a strong sense of melody, this one's right up your alley.