Montclair Guitarist Makes a Gem of a Quartet Album

Written By Mike Greenblatt
Chris Whiteman

Live at Reveler, by The Chris Whiteman/John Toomey Quartet, pairs the guitar stylings and compositions of Montclair’s Chris Whiteman with the pianistics of New York’s John Toomey to create an amalgam of jazz history from blues, standards, samba, Monk, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Mann, originals and the kind of post-bop swing that can induce a smile.

Whiteman is influenced by Herb Ellis [1921-2010], Oscar Peterson’s longtime guitar man.  A former trumpeter, he studied classical and jazz at the University of Miami and teaches jazz guitar with a youTube base of 45,000+ students. He’s played at Birdland, The Blue Note, the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Hollywood Bowl. Toomey was in Maynard Ferguson’s band, is also an educator, and has scored Hollywood soundtracks. Recorded in Virginia, Whiteman and Toomey have perfecto support in bassist Randall Pharr and drummer Aaron Binder.

Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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