Acoustic Mania: Antonio Forcione & Neil Stacey Talking Hands

The opening licks of Birdland set the scene for this rollocking good session between two very able guitarists. You're either gonna love their clever rendition of Birdland, or hate the compromises required when translating it for two guitars. But I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised by the range of textures that they manage to conjour between Forcione's nylon and Stacey's steel-strung instruments.

If that doesn't sell this disc to you, the flamenco-flavoured version of John McLaughlin's David should. This is a sensitive and warm interpretation. Probably better than all the other cover versions out there. I wonder if the maestro has heard it himself?

Stacey's compositional skills get a couple of outings, as does Forcione's (which is undeniably the more sophisticated of the two). Norah Jones must have ripped off Stacey's first, Festival. It's just too similar. From there on, the boys find a common ground in the gypsy jazz of Gismonti's Karate, and clearly enjoy the shared delight of the predominantly latinate forms encountered up until Forcione's closing blues, the peaceful Snow.

Great fun.