by Scott YanowA step up from guitarist Bobby Broom's first Criss Cross CD, this second effort teams him with his regular trio (bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer George Fludas) plus guest tenor saxophonist Ron Blake on half of the songs. The reason this disc gets the edge over Broom's initial Criss Cross set is the high quality of the tunes, which include "Hot House," a cooking version of "Always," "Speedball," and Broom's "Mo'." The guitarist plays quite well, seems inspired by Blake's appearances, and comes up with plenty of creative statements. Recommended.