Earl Klugh
HandPicked
Concord Records
For the last 30-some years, Earl Klugh has been consistently turning out solo guitar albums that showcase not only his nylon-string’s full-bodied tones, but his inventiveness as an arranger. On HandPicked, Klugh sticks with mainly pop and jazz standards and doesn't fall into the trap of over-arranging tunes to the detriment of melodies. He opens with Burt Bacharach's "Alfie," holding true to the original’s melody, but adding his trademark harmonic twists and turns, as well as occasional technical flash.