Description: TOM PRINCIPATO & PETE KENNEDY "FINGERS ON FIRE" CD 2020 Re-Master w/bonus cut in Digipak FINGERS ON FIRE features previously unreleased live and studio recordings from 1978.Personnel includes: Tom Principato, Pete Kennedy (guitar); Steve Wolf (bass) Dude Brown (drums on bonus cut "Lover")Partially recorded at the Cellar Door Club, Washington, D.C.Personnel: Pete Kennedy (guitar); Tom Principato (guitar).Recording information: Cellar Door, Washington DC (02/14/1978-12/30/1978); Elsie's Basement, Falls Church, VA (02/14/1978-12/30/1978). Childe Harold 1979 Roots music enthusiasts rightly cite New Year's Eve 1978 as a legendary night at Washington, D.C.'s Cellar Door because of the towering figure cut by late guitar legend Danny Gatton and his high-flying ensemble of the time (Redneck Jazz Explosion). Gatton's celebrated "clam filter" kept the tapes of his own performances from being released for nearly 20 years, but the Principato-Kennedy support duo turned in an equally inspired performance of their own -- as shown by their own live tapes, rounded off by some informal two-track demos. The musical approach is simple, but solid. Principato and Kennedy lay out the melody, then circle like mating butterflies as they uncoil echo-laden improvisations. Although both men are accomplished and versatile players, this isn't just a display of chops for its own sake; Kennedy and Principato make effective use of space and silence to create the moods suggested by "Echo Boogie" or "Stealin' Corn." Bassist Steve Wolf -- himself an integral Redneck Jazz Explosion member -- lends his unique lead stylings to four tracks. This factor underpins two standouts, a melodic revamp of the Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" and a sprightly, jazzy "Flintstones Theme," which brims with the same sense of contagious fun and daredevil flair that marked a classic Gatton show. (Of course, "The Flintstones Theme" wound up among numerous movie and TV themes that might pop up during a classic '70s Gatton nightclub set.) The duo also pays tribute to their '30s and '40s heroes with glistening takes on Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Ain't Misbehavin'" and Duke Ellington's oft-covered standard "It Don't Mean a Thing (If Ain't Got That Swing)." It's not hard to understand why Gatton tapped the duo as his opening act; Principato and Kennedy combine fierce chops and serious fun, which is what this music is all about. ~ Ralph Heibutzki For a lot of Washington area guitar fans, memories are made of this: Tom Principato and Pete Kennedy playing Jazz guitar duets with an occasional assist from bassist Steve Wolf, circa the late 70's. Indeed eight of the 13 tracks were taped when the duo opened for Danny Gatton's Redneck Jazz Explosion at the Cellar Door in 1978. The performances are intimate, interwoven and clearly inspired by a long tradition of jazz guitar pairings. Not surprisingly, Charlie Christian's influence is evident on several tracks, including "Opus One" and "Slipped Disc", but on other cuts such as "Honeysuckle Rose", the swing rhythms give way to the alternating bass patterns associated with Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. The more contemporary tunes range from a lovely and languid "Here, There & Everywhere" to a finger popping take on the 'Flinstones Theme". Mike Joyce The Washington Post These recordings were made in 1978, and part of the disc is studio recordings, the other part is live stuff recorded at the Cellar Door in Washington, D.C. By the way, they were opening for Danny Gatton's Redneck Jazz Explosion for those shows--quite a night of guitar. The stuff here is mostly eclectic standards, calling to mind the stuff Chet Atkins & Les Paul did in their duets. Both players show their stuff on pretty much every cut. Whether soloing or or comping behind each other, they come across as wonderfully versatile and accomplished players. The interplay is fun to listen to also, with some of the songs having short intertwined parts. John Heidt Vintage Guitar
Price: 6.98 USD
Location: Falls Church, Virginia
End Time: 2024-01-24T18:01:08.000Z
Shipping Cost: 3.5 USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Case Type: Digipak
Language: English
Edition: Remastered
Features: Digipak
Artist: Tom Principato, Pete Kennedy
Record Label: PowerHouse Records
Format: CD
Release Year: 2002
Release Title: Fingers ON Fire
Genre: Blues