Fans of classic guitar trio recordings from the likes of Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel and Tal Farlow will appreciate Malone's swinging approach, punctuating chord melody with single-note runs. There may not be anything conceptually new here, but Malone's sure-footedness and openness to express his fondness for the blues is captivating.
Stand-out tracks include Malone's own tunes such as the Latin-inspired "Honeybone" and "Pecan Pie," with a Stevie Wonder-style mix of chord and melody and Cole Porter's "Do I Love You" is an impressive display of ballad work while John Hick's "Mind Wine" is straight-ahead fun with interesting twists and turns.
All in all, Triple Play is a well conceived release that will appeal to both guitar aficionados and listeners of mainstream jazz.
