Vinny Raniolo Air Guitar: Songs of Flight

Vinny Raniolo
Air Guitar: Songs of Flight
Self-Produced

Guitarist Raniolo has collaborated with many folks including Tommy Emmanuel, Bucky Pizzarelli, Leon Redbone and Vince Giordano to name a few. He also has been the long-time partner of Frank Vignola with whom he has performed thousands of concerts. "Air Guitar" is his first album under his own name and finds him in duets with bassist Elias Bailey. Heard are classic songs from Jimmy Van Heusen, Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Django Reinhardt and others that show his love of flying through performance of songs.

There is plenty to enjoy in the 15 selections on this from the brisk, lively opening "Come Fly With Me," through the lovely, lyrical rendering of "Skylark." Raniolo's deft touch and lovely tone supported by Bailey's bass. There is a lively "Flying Down To Rio," as well as a charming "Blue Skies." Raniolo crafts melodic solos throughout as on John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "Stardust." Then there are the sparkling played "Airmail Special," as well as another Benny Goodman small group classic "Flying Home." The interplay between Raniolo and Bailey on the former number is noteworthy, as is his horn like lines on the latter tune. There is also an exquisite interpretation of Django Reinhardt's "Nuages."

Raniolo and Bailey have provided listeners here with a superb album of jazz guitar-bass duets to captivate listeners..

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 378). Here Vinny Rniolo and Elias Bailey perform "Besame Mucho."

Doug Munro and La Pompe Attack - The Harry Warren Songbook

Doug Munro and La Pompe Attack
The Harry Warren Songbook
Got Music Records

Harry Warren was an American composer who is known for his work on films with a number of the songs he collaborated on becoming standards (such as "At Last" written for a 1942 film "Orchestra Wives"). Other songs he was associated with (In collaboration with Mack Gordon, Johnny Mercer, Al Dubin and others) include "Lullaby of Broadway," "Jeepers Creepers," "I Only Have Eyes For You," "Chattanooga Choo Choo," "The More I See You," "September in the Rain," "Forty Second Street, "We're in the Money" and others. He was the great uncle of guitarist Doug Munro who arranged 14 songs in the manner of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France and recruited celebrated guitarists Harold Alden, Vic Juris, Vinny Raniolo and violinist Andrei Matorin to help make this project happen. There were four sessions involved and Munro contributed two originals as well.

This is this writer's first exposure to Munro who has recorded in a wide variety of contexts over the past three decades, which starts off on a lively note with "Lullaby of Broadway," with dazzling guitar as Alden, Raniolo and Munro each get a chance to solo here with the backing rhythm helping propel things here. "Serenade in Blue" is a lovely rendition of this Warren/Gordon ballad while Raniolo and Munro are featured on "Nagasaki." a novelty number popular in the swing era, although we could have been spared the novelty vocal on this. Matorin's violin joins in for exhilarating "Jeepers Creepers," and "Chattanooga Choo Choo," that contrast with the reflective rendition of "I Only Have Eyes For You."

Vic Juris' contributes lovely playing to "The More I See You," while he and Munro each contribute to "September in the Rain," that ends with a quote of Jimi Hendrix's "Wind Cries Mary." A tribute to Warren, "Blues For Harry," is one of the two originals and has some fine playing from Raniolo, Ted Gottsegen as well as Munro. "Forty Second Street," is taken at a walking tempo with Bujese's violin outstanding. A lively "We're in the Money" has sizzling playing from Raniolo, Gottsegen and Munro, although again the vocal could have been dispensed with. The tango rendition of "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams," comes across as perhaps a bit melodramatic, while the breakneck "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby," is a fun performance

A lovely rendition of "At Last," the arrangement of which sounds inspired by the classic Etta James recording, closes this tribute to one of the great American film composers It also stands up as a marvelous album for gypsy jazz and jazz guitar aficionados.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared originally in the March-April 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371). Here is Doug Munro performing "42nd Street."

 

Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo Swing Zing

 

The duo of Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo brings together the veteran Vignola, certainly one of the most remarkable guitarists today, with the younger Raniolo who serves to complement Vignola's oft astounding playing. The two have a new recording "Swing Zing" on Vignola's FV-15 label on which the two (with guests) play 13 swing era classics.

There is more than a hint of Vignola's Gypsy Jazz style, especially on the jaw-dropping 'Joseph Joseph" on which Olli Soikelli joins the two, while Bucky Pizzarelli, and Gary Mazzaroppi join in backing a lovely vocal from Auda Mariel on the classic Jerome Kern ballad "All the Things You Are." There are so many delights including the brilliant interplay between Vignola and Gene Bertoncini on the brisk "Whispering."

From the opening delightful elegance of "Cheek to Cheek" to the lovely rendering of "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans" and the closing medley of "Peg O My Heart"/"I'm Confessin'," listeners are treated to a mix of lyricism and dazzling improvisational take-offs that prove that jaw-dropping technique matched with musical taste and intelligence make for compelling performances that move the heart and lift one's spirits. "Swing Zing" is simply wonderful.

I received my review copy from a publicist. I have made a few minor changes to the  review which appeared in the July-August Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 361). Here is a video of these two performing a medley of "Tico Tico/ Apache."