Ben Sher - Handprints (2025)

Review by Scott Yanow

Guitarist Ben Sher mentions in the liner notes of his fine CD the influences of Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Kenny Burrell and Pat Martino and that list accurately sums up his style although to his credit he does not sound like a copy of any of those players. Sher's solos are both melodic and adventurous within the modern mainstream and he is in equally fine form on his modal originals and two standards. Sher interacts with a sextet from 1991 that also features tenor-saxophonist Peter Brainin and pianist Bruce Barth, heads a pianoless trio and on "Handprints" plays unaccompanied. Ben Sher consistently displays a generous amount of creativity and enthusiasm within the hard bop/postbop idiom, making this a CD worth picking up.