(Azica)

Guitarists Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo have created a delightful musical alchemy on their latest recording, Melody Magic. What makes the project particularly noteworthy is not only their great musical chemistry, but the selection of material they take on with this effort. The duo interprets mostly of classical standards in very contemporary arrangements. Covered in their upbeat fashions are the compositions of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bizet and Bach, among others. There are also tunes by Lennon and McCartney, as well as Sting, which fit right in with the flow of the tracks. The guitarists are backed by Mark Egan on bass guitar, Cassidy Holden and Mat Wigdon on double bass, Julien Labro on accordion and Zach Brock on violin.The performances are top-notch and make this a truly entertaining production.