Some album titles are either wildly inappropriate or pointless, leaving the listener to wonder, "What, in God's name, does that title have to do with this music?" Others, however, hit the nail on the head; Acoustic Romance is a perfect title for this CD because Gene Bertoncini sticks to the acoustic guitar (although he is equally appealing on the electric version) and does, in fact, favor a romantic approach throughout the album (which was recorded in 1992 but wasn't released until 2003). Bertoncini's playing is consistently lyrical and melodic, and that outlook serves the veteran guitarist well whether he is turning his attention to Henry Mancini's "Two for the Road" or Bronislau Kaper's "Invitation." The disc's most obvious shortcoming is Bertoncini's tendency to play it much too safe when it comes to choosing material; most of the time, he picks standards that have been recorded time and time again. A few surprises occur, including performances of Stanley Myers' "Cavatina" and Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Edelweiss" (neither of which have been beaten to death in the jazz world). But all too often, Bertoncini chooses overdone warhorses such as Victor Young's "Stella By Starlight" and Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight"; both are great songs, but after literally hundreds of versions, how many more times do they need to be recorded? No one is suggesting that Bertoncini and similar artists should avoid standards altogether, but how about surprising us more often and unearthing some of the lesser known gems that ultra-prolific composers like Duke Ellington, Stephen Sondheim and Antonio Carlos Jobim gave us? That said, one is inclined to be forgiving of the warhorse factor because Bertoncini is such a warm and expressive soloist. All things considered, Acoustic Romance is an enjoyable, if predictable, addition to his catalog.

— Alex Henderson
© 2003 Barnes & Noble