TOMMY EMMANUEL & FRANK VIGNOLA

 Just Between Frets: Groovemasters Vol. 11  is the latest in our series of magical guitar duos, featuring the wonder from down under and twice GRAMMY nominated Tommy Emmanuel cgp and America's own Jazz sensation Frank Vignola.
SONGS:

 

1) Tenderly

2) Clouds

3) How High The Moon

medley:

 4 )I've Got A Crush on You

 5) Young at Heart 
6) Swing 39/Swing 42

7) Sweet Dreams
8) Paper Moon

9) Django's Castle

10)Swing 09

11)Nature Boy

12) Just Us 4 All

March/April, 2010 Minor 7th.com

Tommy Emmanuel & Frank Vignola, "Just Between Frets," Solid Air Records, 2009

This latest addition to Solid Air’s Groovemasters series pairs two more acoustic masters for consistently listenable and even surprising results. Tommy Emmanuel is among the higher echelon of today’s fingerstyle players, if not positioned squarely atop the heap. Frank Vignola has been a top jazz and pop session player since the 1990, having performed or recorded with Les Paul, Ringo Starr, Joey DeFrancesco, David Grisman, Mark O'Connor, and many others. Emmanuel mainly performs solo, while Vignola almost always plays in groups (he’s released one solo guitar CD, the excellent "Blues for a Gypsy"). This CD places them in a trio context, rounded out by Gary Mazzaroppi, longtime bassist for pianist Marian McPartland and veteran of Vignola’s tenure with Les Paul. Most of the selections are swing-era standards, with a few more recent jazz and popular numbers and two originals thrown in. In a depature for him, Emmanuel employs a flatpick to trade rhythm and lead with Vignola, who is in familiar territory here. Highlights include "How High the Moon," "Swing 39/Swing 42," "Paper Moon," and the country standard, "Sweet Dreams." Each tune features extended solo spots for Emmanuel and Vignola, although the sparks really fly when they trade fours and improvise concurrently, as on "How High the Moon" and "Paper Moon." Though I’ve heard Mazzaroppi stretch out more when playing with Marian McPartland, he takes two hot bass solos during the proceedings and otherwise holds down the bottom end with his usual skill. Other favorites include "Django’s Castle" (which Vignola recorded as a solo on Blues for a Gypsy) and an understated "Nature Boy." Emmanuel and Vignola explore key changes and dynamic shifts on the blues, "Just us 4 All," which serves as an encore. Like all Groovemasters CDs, this one is fun and full of great music.
© Patrick Ragains

FINGERSTYLE GUITAR MAGAZINE...

CDs
Tommy Emmanuel / Frank Vignola

Just Between Frets

Whoa! What a record! Just Between Frets has all the elements that great music should have – passion, dynamics, beautiful phrasing, tone, and sensitive accompaniment. It is simply one of the best records we have heard in some time. It is even more impressive because it was recorded in just two afternoon sessions and, as Tommy said, “…. no fix-ups, no tricks, just honest playing.”

Tommy and Frank have put together a collection of, mostly, standards: “Tenderly, “ How High The Moon,” “I’ve Got a Crush On You,” “Young At Heart,” “Paper Moon,” “Django’s Castle,” and six others which harkens back to the days of romance and swing. “Tenderly,” and “Nature Boy” are two standouts. They are played in perfect tempo and with great emotion.

Beautifully recorded and beautifully played, a true gem.

Tommy and Frank, you have done a very good thing. Thanks for the reminder of what music can be.

....Bill Piburn/ Fingerstyle Guitar Editor