Just Between Frets
Tommy Emmanuel & Frank Vignola
Solid Air Records has a fantastic line-up of guitar duos in their Groovemasters series. Beginning with the incredible combination of Laurence Juber and Preston Reed this series has continued to pair up great players with consistently terrific results. For number 11 in this fine series they have paired Tommy Emmanuel with Frank Vignola, another inspired duo choice.
If you were fortunate enough to see these two wonderful players on stage together in Nashville last summer you will know that Frank is one of the few players that can hold the stage with Tommy when he is in full flow. Having seen that, you might expect that this CD could devolve into a shred fest, but fortunately both musicians are beyond having to prove themselves in any such superficial way. They concentrate on the presentation of each song and that is what makes this album so special.
Having called this a duo I should correct this right away by adding that Frank Vignola's long-time bass player Gary Mazzaroppi plays with them as well. I consider Gary one of the finest virtuosi plucking the four-stringed monster around these days. (As a former string bassist I believe I can be a bit flip about my old instrument!) Gary is a perfect presence here, providing a solid but unobtrusive anchor as well as brilliant solos when called upon.
The set begins mildly with Tenderly. Flurries of harmonics drifting through the introductory chord changes signal that Tommy Emmanuel is indeed "in the building". The song continues with a straightforward presentation of the melody which almost imperceptibly gives way to improvisation. The melody drifts back in again and before we know it we are at the rich ending of the tune!
Next comes the classic Django Reinhardt song Clouds (usually called by its original French title "Nuages"). This is a very different arrangement from Frank Vignola's version on his CD Standards. Over a relaxed pace we hear the melody with a strong blues inflection. The solos slowly move away from the melody as things heat up, all the while over a solid backing that provides an ideal foil for adventurous playing. This one is a fine demonstration of the different styles of the two guitarists and how they complement one another. Rounding things off nicely is a return to the melody and a fine ending.
If things have been surprisingly mellow so far they heat up with a spirited version of How High the Moon. Starting off with an introduction that sounds to me like a tribute to Les Paul for his ground-breaking version, the song is soon swinging with blazing solos, Tommy's scatting and some great soloing by Gary. There's even some percussion provided in Tommy's inimitable style. Four and a half minutes of solid excitement!
I've Got a Crush on You is another straightforward tune that sets off Tommy's Gibson Kalamazoo and Frank's signature Thorell model. After barely a minute it segues into Young at Heart. These songs fit together so well that you might miss the change. The chordal interaction at the start of this one is a joy to hear as are the effortless-sounding improvisations, even as they joke back and forth.
Well if one short medley is good then two must be twice as good, and so we are treated to a pair of Django Reinhardt's tunes: Swing 39 and Swing 42. (Django wrote quite a few "Swing" tunes, including Swing 41, Swing 48 and the wonderful Minor Swing). Frank is on familiar territory here and he gives a very stylish performance that at once pays homage to Django and sounds just like Frank Vignola. Not to be left behind Tommy shows that he is no slouch at playing Django's music and adapting the composer's style to his own. There is a wonderful feeling of sync between all three musicians that is especially evident here. Tommy and Frank play off each other, inspiring more and more florid soloing until they finally both fly off together before calmly dropping back into the melody and some impressive harmony work.
Things move into a more country vein with Sweet Dreams, the song that launched Don Gibson's career as a songwriter and was also a posthumous hit for Patsy Cline. Like the "groovemasters" that they are, the whole group shows their versatility by incorporating this style into their repertoire without even changing gears. If Frank wanted to continue his explorations of different popular genres it is hard to imagine a better partner for country playing than Tommy Emmanuel.
Paper Moon is a standout track. From its opening octaves between the two guitars to the constantly changing settings of the tune itself this song flies from beginning to end. If they have shown remarkable restraint to this point both Tommy and Frank let loose with jaw-dropping performances. Tommy cannot keep himself from scatting along with his joyful soloing, and Frank answers with some amazing playing of his own that includes at least one very surprising modulation (listen for Tommy's laugh). If I had to pick one song to show how much these two love to play together it would be this one, hands down. One note from Tommy: this song was not "arranged" but rather they started to play and this is how it came out. Wow.Django's Castle is yet another tune by Django Reinhardt, which some of us will remember from Chet Atkins' album "Teensville". Once again the whole band is completely at home with the style and the song and we get a tuneful and assured walk through this memorable song.
With so many Django tunes including the two "Swings" it is no surprise that Tommy would want to add his own Swing 09 which he revamped for this CD. This is a great blend of styles and everyone gets into the spirit in this updated swing tune. A melody that you will walk away humming and fine solos all around.
Nature Boy is another classic song with classic versions by Nat King Cole and George Benson. Well aware of these great performances, Tommy wisely chooses to present a soulful version of the melody, otherwise unadorned, over a simple strummed accompaniment (with some subtle but very effective slides on the bass). There are some fine variations on the tune, which is never very far away, all of which gives this song a magical atmosphere.
With the same "punny" panache as the title "Just Between Frets" (which I understand was actually coined by executive producer James Jensen) the two friends end with their own Just Us 4 All. This is a perfect jam tune and they make the most of it.
This would be a wonderful album as is, but it is even more remarkable to learn that they made it in just two afternoons! All three musicians are pros of the highest calibre and their sheer delight in playing together suffuses the entire CD.
You can see a great clip of Tommy and Frank playing Nuages on Tommy's site at http://www.certifiedguitarplayer.com/justbetweenfrets.aspx
There are also clips on YouTube but note that they are incorrectly labelled "Just Between The Frets".
What is left to say except that you can buy it at Acoustic Music Resource or from Tommy Emmanuel's web site. (You can also find it on Frank Vignola's web site, which links to Tommy's site).