Dom Minasi: Me Myself and I

Those familiar with guitarist Dom Minasi and his adventurous releases may be surprised by the more "straightforward" Me, Myself and I. On this solo outing Minasi is heard on two acoustic guitars contributing both the cadence as well as the melodies. The two parts were then overdubbed in the studio. The nine mellifluous originals that Minasi interprets here with sensitivity and intelligence were written between 1976 and 1995.

The haunting "The Color of Her Eyes is Gray" is warm and Spanish tinged. Minasi penned it for an old lover. The sparse chords gradually coalesce into shimmering patterns. With his soulful improvisation Minasi transforms the music into an intricate and stimulating paean full of vibrant spontaneity.

Equally mesmerizing is "Brown Eyes." Minasi's two guitars engage in a captivating duet as one embellishes the tune with elegance and thoughtful phrases while the other creates a complex rhythmic framework for it. The result is much more than a charming ballad; it is a lively and multilayered performance that leads to new discoveries with each listen.

The witty "Be Op Be Op Be Ah" showcases the guitarist's virtuosity. Minasi plays with lithe alacrity and climbs the scales with breathtaking agility; neither while strumming an intricate vamps nor extemporizing with abandon does he lose sight of the melody. Minasi's impressive command of his instruments allows him to make the sparks fly without being showy as he makes every note count.

The beautiful song Minasi wrote for his wife, "Ballad for Carol," opens with fluid and languid lines. It then gradually evolves with lyricism into a warm and intimate soliloquy that simmers with passion and is laced with poetry. The more Minasi builds upon the main motif the closer he gets to the core of the piece.

With this album Minasi demonstrates that his creativity is unabated whether he is in an avant-garde setting or he is dealing with more "traditional" material. It also highlights the timelessness of his compositions as the decades since their inception have not aged them at all. They remain vivid and exciting.