A Minor Scramble (1996)

About this title: Mark Elf's third self-produced CD is another gem. The guitarist's trio selections, with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Louis Nash, include a snappy miniature arrangement of "After You've Gone," a rarely heard ballad by Harold Arlen, "It Is Written in the Stars," and his bluesy original title track. Elf's guests include the young trumpet star Nicholas Payton on a conversational "Come Rain or Come Shine" and the delightful pianist Benny Green on a lively cover of "Nobody Else But Me." Mark Elf's taste and consistency have helped him break the seeming stranglehold that larger labels have ... read more

Tracks:

1. A Minor Scramble [Elf]
2. After You've Gone [Creamer/Layton]
3. Tico-Tico [Abreu/Drake/Oliveir]
4. It Was Written in the Stars [Arlen/Robin]
5. Nobody Else But Me [Kern/Hammerstein]
6. Blues in Fat Tues. [Elf]
7. The Niche
8. Too Close for Comfort [Bock/Weiss/Holofcen]
9. Something to Live For [Ellington/Strayhorn]
10. I Concentrate on You [Porter]
11. Come Rain or Come Shine [Arlen/Mercer]
12. A Fine Romance [Kern/Fields]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.