Guitarist Kevin Eubanks teams up with pianist Orrin Evans for a clever collection of duets, mixing conversations with lyricism. Eubanks’ guitar is in particularly sinewy form, tensile while jamming the blues on “Novice Bounce” and funky on “I Don’t Know”. The two jab and punch like sparring middle weights, as Eubanks snarls on “Variations of the Battle” and Evans displays warm hands on the restrained “Dreams of Loving You”. Tender moments float on “Dawn Marie” and understatement draws you in on the impressionistic “Variations on Adoration”. Energetic exchanges.