“View of the City” is guitarist Doug MacDonald’s first recording done in the Big Apple since his “New York Session” in 1979. Based in the Los Angeles area, MacDonald decided to team with bassist Harvie S and drummer Steve Williams to explore five originals and eight standards that cover bossa novas, ballads, bebop and blues. While the trio hadn’t played together, the musicians found themselves quite “copacetic” and the recording session happened “organically.” Thus, we hear melodies evolve into spontaneous musical interplay as the musicians converse. The three create a colorful easy listening set full of flavorful hues. I never tire of a Jobim standard like “Corcovado,” while MacDonald’s self-penned “Griff,” “Bossa Don” and “Gateway Blues” are certainly crowd-pleasers. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)