Bernard "Pretty" Purdie

Bucky Pizzarelli leads a strong quintet through this intimate live set at Makor, a Manhattan night spot. The seven-string guitarist is always game for anything, and with a superb group -- including nearly everyone's first-call bassist, Michael Moore, clarinetist Allan Vaché, vibraphonist Peter Appleyard (who previously worked with Benny Goodman, as did Michael Moore and the leader), and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie -- the veteran leads his group through seven favorites from the swing era. The set sounds very relaxed and informal, as if the musicians were playing for their own fun and had no idea tapes were rolling. A snappy take of "Perdido" and an extended workout of "Limehouse Blues" are but two of the memorable tracks recorded that evening.

This show was recorded at The Avalon in Hollywood, California on October 13, 2005. It's a two disc retrospective on a career's worth of songs that are every bit as electrifying now as when they were first recorded. Coryell is a monster on guitar throughout the show, and Bernard Pretty Purdie (a legend in his own right) is on drums. Special guests James Valentine (Maroon 5) and David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) drop by to show off their talents in homage to Coryell. Through several interviews and segments of rehearsal footage we can see how the music is created, or that until this release, Coryell has always been the best kept secret. Bonus features include: Morning Sickness, Stiff Neck, Beautiful Woman, Valentine Rehearsal, Half A Heart, Slow Blues, Hidalgo Rehearsal, Souls Dirge, Souls Meeting, Additional Songs, Interviews, Rehearsals, Beyond This Chilling Winds, Spaces (Infinite), Dragon Gate