Matt Panayides is a guitarist who has long had his own style. His harmonically adventurous playing, at times a bit reminiscent of Jim Hall and Pat Martino, is filled with fresh and personal chord voicings. While his previous recording, Field Theory, put the focus on electronics, With Eyes Closed has more of an acoustic sound. This is not only Panayides’ first trio album, but his first to concentrate on jazz standards. Joined by bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Anthony Pinciotti, Panayides digs into eight songs by six jazz composers (including two apiece by Cedar Walton and Wayne Shorter) plus reinvented versions of three standards. The emphasis is on close interplay between the three musicians with LaSpina and Pinciotti getting a generous amount of solo space and contributing inventive accompaniment behind the guitarist. The veteran songs are transformed into explorative post-bop while retaining the essence of their melodies. Throughout With Eyes Closed, Matt Panayides puts his stamp on jazz standards, showing just how innovative and fresh his playing has become.