Charlie Byrd - The World of Charlie Byrd (1973)

Combining bossa nova timing with clear, bright, jazzy guitar lines, Charlie Byrd recorded several sides for Columbia Records in the 1960s, the best of which were collected on the double LP The World of Charlie Byrd in 1973. This Wounded Bird release combines all four sides of that LP on a single disc, and it flows with a light, sunny feel, sparked, of course, by Byrd’s impeccable guitar playing. Some of the tracks are fairly sparse, which is fine, because Byrd’s guitar is the focus, but some of them feature tasteful orchestration where his guitar, although always at the center, floats out of the ensemble. Highlights include wonderful versions of “The Girl From Ipanema” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” a stately rendition of “Scarborough Fair/Canticle,” and a surprisingly funky “Blues for China.”