They’ve been doing guitar duets like this since recorded music, with meetings between Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson, Dick McDonough and Carl Kress setting the tone and direction for material like this wonderful summit meeting between compatriots Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo. They’ve been together in a variety of settings and forms, and this one, which includes a cast of cameo appearances, delivers at least 12 strings of joy on every bite.
Their sense of joyful jamming and lyricism is in evidence from the swinging and infectious “Cheek to Cheek” to the frenetic fretwork on “Tico Tico/Djangomania” which has the strings tying themselves up in a Reinhardt of a knot. Together they can also create swooning melodies as on the swooning “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” and nostalgic “Stardust.”
And when the guests come along for sit-ins, the ante gets upped accordingly, as Olli Soikkeli delivers a gypsy caravan of hot sounds on “Joseph Joseph” while Bucky Pizzarelli brings his octogenarian digits along to sensitively strum and swing on “Peg O My Heart/I’m Confessin’.” Gene Bertoncini almost creates a fire hazard of Italians with guitars as he supplies the nylons on a gorgeous “Whispering” and a larger ensemble with Pizzarelli, guitarist Gary Mazzaroppi and vocalist Audra Mariel deliver a delightfully styled “All The Things You Are.” The mix of strums, picks and bent strings all throughout are a treat; at this stage Vignola has a wonderfully identifiable tone and approach to his guitar, and his teamwork with Raniolo is one of the best duos around.