Mel Bay MB21225 DVD

Mel Bay Records
Mel Bay Publication, INC.
# 4 Industrial Drive
Pacific, MO 63069
www.melbay.com

There is no substitute for actually watching musicians perform live. This collection of 14 tunes is as close as many guitarists will get to actually experiencing that with Bucky Pizzarelli and Frank Vignola. Recorded in April of 2005 in a casual atmosphere, these two players are well matched musically and personally. The contrast in their styles and tone works well in the presentation of the material. Pizzarelli has a very mellow traditional sound while Vignola's Benedetto guitar is much brighter. Vignola takes advantage of the different tonal capabilities of his instrument by switching his picking point from closer to the fingerboard to back towards the bridge. This combined with his affinity for the gypsy guitar genre allows the viewer to recall an earlier period of jazz and the Hot Club of Paris recordings.

"In A Mellow Tone" opens the set in a medium swing tempo with Pizzarelli stating the melody and taking the first solo. He then switches to his familiar and trademark rhythm playing with walking bass lines while Vignola contributes the first of his many fine single string efforts. "Limehouse Blues" is up next, and starts with the melody being presented slowly. The solos then erupt at breakneck speed and there is some excellent banjo style accompaniment by both players.

There are some tunes that are lesser known to the younger jazz guitarist such as "Smoke Rings." This ballad is taken from the book of the Glen Gray Orchestra. Nods to the great violinists of years gone by are given with "Stars In Your Eyes" by Fritz Kriesler and the classic Stephan Grapelli composition "Nuages." Vignola is featured on the latter and Pizzarelli introduces him as the American successor to Django Reinhardt. His tone and phrasing certainly captures Django perfectly.

Other selections include a slow blues titled "Pacifica," "If I Had You" and "Stompin' At The Savoy." The players alternate roles as soloist and accompanist flawlessly and support each other as though they had worked together forever. Pizzarelli plays a beautiful solo arrangement of the Richard Rodgers tune "This Nearly Was Mine." This tune showcases his command of the 7 string guitar and its harmonic capabilities.

There is a medley of "It's Been a Long, Long Time" and "Don't Take Your Love from Me." "Honeysuckle Rose" begins at a moderate speed and has a playful interchange of bass lines and trading fours between the two. Pizzaerilli then launches into a chord solo in the tenor banjo tradition and Vignola follows with blistering single lines. The last two tunes are "Three Little Words" and "Moonlight Serenade."

This DVD is a relaxing experience that allows the viewer to feel like they are being personally serenaded by two of the leading jazz guitarists of two generations. The musical interplay is outstanding throughout and both players show their technical capabilities in all areas of the instrument. I highly recommend this to players of all skill levels and it is a video that will be watched and enjoyed many times over.