Without a doubt, Mark Elf is the premiere bop guitarist of this generation. With an improvisational imagination that’s as elegant as it is poetic, Elf is a direct link to pioneering guitarists like George Van Eps and Herb Ellis. Like those virtuosos, who gave equity to both solo and rhythm work, Elf’s single string dexterity, while simultaneously doubling harmony chords, is a feat that should be in the Guinness Book of Records, as well as rewarded with a Grammy, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

With a flawless technique and enviable articulation that would have most other guitarists burying their axes in the backyard, Elf also manages to swing to Cole Porter’s “Love For Sale,” while keeping the meter running. It’s an extraordinary display of gifted wit and demure cool-dom, by tackling treasures such as "Stormy Weather” and “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off,” while sounding completely spontaneous in their delivery. Elf’s latest is a polite nod to those jazz radio programmers who have spread his work over the frequencies, a disc split between sizzling trio work (with bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Ralph Peterson) and sedate solo settings.

While it’s always remarkable at the ease in which he peels off standards (his gentle grasp with Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” should be the textbook), his originals (like the delightful “Erv’s Curve”) are a wonderful reminder that bop will never die in this lifetime. Excellent. (Jen Bay Records, P.O. Box 184, E. Rockaway, NY 11518)