Don Linke
Don Linke
Like his album title, Milwaukee guitarist Don Linke balances high concept with vernacular grit in concluding his three-album collaboration with drummer Victor Campbell and several bass players, including himself. The concept appeals more than obscures—bebop sophistication rides his wizardly use of the Pat Metheny-popularized “chorus” effect. So, a fluent atmosphere envelops Linke’s solos, consistently shapely and quirky, like a man folding little jokes into a flowing rap. He knows when to slather on the funk. Campbell's hip-slipping drums pulse the title tune, teasing as it gratifies. Linke’s vernacular muscles stretch to a calypso, the beguiling “To Sonny,” which Mr. Rollins would dance with his sax to.
