Royce Campbell - 6 x 6 (1994)

In 1994, the Japanese Paddlewheel label came up with a project for guitarist Royce Campbell. It was suggested that he team up with five better-known American jazz guitarists for two songs apiece. After much thought, Campbell asked guitarists John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell, Pat Martino, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Dave Stryker to join him in the project, playing with a few different bassists and drummers. Since Campbell is a flexible player, each of the combinations worked quite well. Among the high points are Coryell on "Love for Sale," a heated "Angular Blues" with Abercrombie, and a melodic version of "Dancing on the Ceiling" that teams Campbell with Pizzarelli. Each of the ten performances works well and quite a few sparks fly between the guitarists. This is an easily recommended set that was long overdue to be made available to American audiences when it was finally released domestically by the small Moon Cycle label in 2004.