hen two guitarists collaborate on a set of tunes, you can get a very lively
interplay between the rhythm and melody, with one musician usually holding
the basic rhythm steady while the other solos. In the case of Johnson and
Romero, they seem equally adept at playing either part. Both have played
since childhood, Romero specializing in the Spanish and flamenco styles,
Johnson jazz and pop, recently leading the Yellow Jackets before he became
enamored of new flamenco styles. As a result, this album is definitely in the
new flamenco camp. As is typical of this style, we hear percussion taking the
place of castanets and footstomping, and an occasional sax accenting the
proceedings. This is an album for guitar lovers, by guitar lovers, and there
is a reltationship you get between two guitars that you just don't get
between, say the guitar and sax or guitar and piano or bass. There is a
tightness when you have two of the same that perhaps is only matched if you
have two drummers. The feel of the whole album is bright, sunny, upbeat, the
sort of mood lifter that has a high energy, summertime feel.
Note: artist comment / correction ...Wayne Wesley Johnson wants to clarify
that the Yellow Jackets is not the same Yellow Jackets as the current jazz
group. Wayne's original band which performed between 1960-1969 was called the
Yellow Jackets and later was changed to "Sons & Lovers" between 1969-1972,
before Wayne began performing as a solo artist.
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