Two Guitarists in Conversation, 1977
Ellis and Palmieri trade phrases like old friends finishing each other's sentences, unhurried and precise.
Windflower arrived quietly in 1977, a duet album that never became a landmark but earned respect from listeners who found it. AllMusic reviewer gave it four stars, and that assessment holds: this is genuinely skilled playing from two guitarists at ease with each other and the material. Herb Ellis and Remo Palmieri had both spent decades in jazz by then, Ellis from the Oscar Peterson trio years and earlier swing sessions, Palmieri from a deep foundation in both classical and jazz traditions. What they do here is straightforward—no gimmicks, no overdubs, just two acoustic guitars exploring standards and a few originals.
The interplay is the whole point. Ellis and Palmieri don't compete or show off; they listen and respond, trading solos and backing each other with spare, intelligent comping. On ballads, the space between them matters as much as the notes. The uptempo pieces have real swing, the kind that comes from players who know how to lay back and let a song breathe. This is not a flashy record. It won't grab you on first listen if you're expecting fireworks. But repeat it and you notice the detail—the harmonic choices, the rhythmic flexibility, the way each guitarist knows exactly when to step back.
Windflower sits comfortably in Ellis's catalogue as a late-career session with another master craftsman. It's the kind of record that appeals to serious players and listeners with patience for conversation over spectacle. Not a peak, not a turning point—just two accomplished musicians making music together on a day when everything worked.
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