An adventurous guitarist also able to embrace a vintage standard, Rudy Linka made a strong impression in the mid-1990's with a series of fine CDs (including Czech It Out and Double Czech for the Enja label). He originally studied classical guitar until inspired by Miles Davis' Jack Johnson and then the trumpeter's earlier recordings. In 1981 he defected to the West, befriended Red Mitchell and then studied for one year in Boston at the Berklee School Of Music. Linka moved to New York in 1985, took lessons from John Abercrombie (recording on Abercrombie's Mostly Standards CD of 1992) and began his solo career. Rudy Linka's modern mainstream style hints at both Jim Hall and John Abercrombie while sounding quite original. ~ Scott Yanow