Stochelo Rosenberg: Ready’n Able

Stochelo Rosenberg, from Holland, blazes through 12 tracks in 40 minutes on Ready’n Able. He’s joined by his younger brother Mozes Rosenberg, who plays lead guitar as well. Double bassist Sani van Mullem backs the dueling acoustic ax-men, who can be hard to tell apart. Suffice it to say that both of them are stunning virtuosos, right out of the Django Reinhardt lineage but incorporating modern influences (much like their colleague Bireli Lagrene). They begin with a bang on “Joseph’s Tiger,” a Stochelo Rosenberg original, and play the head to Charlie Parker’s “Relaxin’ at Camarillo” in tight octaves. Their chamberlike precision can also be heard on the Jimmy Smith-penned title track (uptempo rhythm changes), the dizzying intro to “All the Things You Are” and the lyrical original ballad “Touch.”

In these hands, of course, “Djangology” couldn’t sound more authentic. But Rosenberg and crew bring a funkier feeling to Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” and Jimmy Webb’s “Sunny.” Their treatments of “Blue Bossa” and Michel Legrand’s “I Will Wait for You” have a similarly modern edge. “Listen,” another original, closes the album with an unaccompanied feature for the leader.

Originally Published March 1, 2006