''Firefly'' is the debut album by jazz guitarist

Emily Remler Emily Remler (September 18, 1957 – May 4, 1990) was an American jazz guitarist, active from the late 1970s until her death in 1990. Early life and influences Born in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey,Staff"Emily Remler Dies On Australia Tour; Gui ...

. She was accompanied by pianist

Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored ...

, bassist

Bob Maize Bob Maize (January 15, 1945 – November 20, 2004) was an American jazz double bassist born and raised in Ontario California. Maize played piano from age seven and switched to bass at 13. After moving to San Francisco in 1963, Maize worked in the ...

, and drummer

Jake Hanna Jake Hanna (April 4, 1931 – February 12, 2010) was an American jazz drummer. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States. Hanna first performed in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the house drummer at Storyville nightclub in Boston, ...

Reception

A review by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

called the album an example of bop bordering on

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

. For the 1980s it would not be considered groundbreaking, but the album sounded like it could have come out of the height of the bop era in the 1960s. In the 7th edition of the

Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled by ...

, Richard Cook and Brian Morton wrote: "''Firefly'' is fluent if a little anonymous, although she handles the diversity of 'Strollin' and 'In A Sentimental Mood' without any hesitation."Richard Cook and Brian Morton, ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD'' (Penguin Books Ltd, England, (2004)

992 Year 992 ( CMXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Worldwide * Winter – A superflare from the sun causes an Aurora Borealis, with visibility as fa ...

p.1356, ). Writing for JazzFuel, Matt Fripp stated: "''Firefly'' was an essential step in putting emlerfirmly on the map as a jazz guitar player, proving to the old guard that she was more than capable of carrying the torch... On the back of the ''Firefly'' success, Remler was offered an extension on her contract with Concord Jazz for three additional albums." Gear Diary's Michael Anderson called ''Firefly'' "a straight-ahead record... that showed great artistry and potential," and commented: "It came around the time that the 'young lions' such as Wynton Marsalis were revisiting the classic sounds from before fusion, and this recording fit in well with that crowd and got her more attention than she might have a couple of years earlier. The record was uneven, but had enough fire and promise to gain Remler a reputation." In the CD liner notes, Maggie Hawthorn commented: "Remler did the arrangements but she notes that there were no rehearsals - just considerable warmth and empathy among the participants".Maggie Hawthorn (1981). Firefly (booklet). Emily Remler. Concord Records. CCD-4162.

Track listing

Personnel

–

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

–

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

– bass *

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

References

{{Authority control 1981 albums Emily Remler albums 20th-century American guitarists Concord Records artists Concord Records albums Bebop guitarists Hard bop guitarists