After his successes with Bobby Broom Plays For Monk (2009) and Wonderful! (2011), a collection of instrumental versions of Stevie Wonder songs, Upper West Side Story is guitarist Bobby Broom's first CD with nothing but own compositions. At the age of 51, he is now the great example of the jazz guitarists in his hometown Chicago, but before that he has come a long way. At sixteen, he joined his New
… York friends Marcus Miller, Omar Hakim and Bernard Wright to play with Tom Browne's fusion band. It was only a small step to the GRP label where he released his debut Clean Sweep. In 1984 he moved to Chicago where he played with Sonny Rollins, Kenny Burrell and Charles Earland. Later he appeared in the bands of Miles Davis, and Dr. John. Broom's warm guitar sound fits in nicely with the sound of soul jazz guitarists like George Benson and Wes Montgomery, but his playing is slightly more angular and less smooth. Despite this, Upper West Side Story has become a beautiful ode to its native soil. (AD)more
