| Album | Cookin’ At the Queens (Live in Las Vegas 1984 & 1988) |
| Artist | Emily Remler |
| Year | 1990 |
| Personnel | Emily Remler (guitar), Cocho Arbe (piano), Javier Colina (bass), Peer Wyboris (drums) (personnel vary slightly across the live performances) |
| Era / Style | Contemporary Jazz / Live Guitar Jazz |
| Favorite Tracks | “How Insensitive,” “Polka Dots and Moonbeams,” “We Don’t Know What Love Is,” “West Coast Blues” |
| First Listen Reaction | Another outstanding Emily Remler recording. The live setting brought more extended soloing than I usually prefer, but the overall musicianship and warmth made it a thoroughly rewarding listening experience. |
| Atmosphere / Mood Tags | Sunday morning, warm, spacious, lyrical, intimate, reflective, live club atmosphere |
| Standout Sound or Instrument | Emily Remler’s expressive guitar and Cocho Arbe’s thoughtful piano solos |
| Listening Context | Multiple focused listening sessions while continuing to explore Emily Remler’s catalog |
| Revisit Status | Essential / Analog Must-Have |
| Led Me To… | More Emily Remler live recordings; Cocho Arbe; additional guitar-led jazz quartets |
LISTENING NOTES:
This double live album further confirmed Emily Remler as one of my favorite guitarists. My favorite tracks—”How Insensitive,” “Polka Dots and Moonbeams,” “We Don’t Know What Love Is,” and “West Coast Blues”—were the slower, more spacious performances that best highlighted her warm, lyrical style. Because this is a live recording, there is naturally more extended soloing by the other members of the ensemble than I generally prefer, but I found myself enjoying Cocho Arbe’s piano work throughout. I also noticed that Remler often plays with a pick here, giving the guitar a different character from some of her other recordings. Overall, this is a definite vinyl-worthy album that I look forward to returning to often.
If the rhythm section is really swinging it’s such a great feeling – you just want to laugh!
~ Emily Remler
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