Search - Frank Vignola :: Vignola Plays Gershwin

Jazz is not only the "sound of surprise," as critic Whitney Balliett famously declared, but it can also be the sound of camaraderie. On this exuberant session, you can hear the pleasure the band takes in the music and each other, as they "play" Gershwin in the fullest sense of the word. This is Frank Vignola's twelfth CD as a leader. A born and bred "Noo Yawkuh" (from Lawn Gyland), he arrived on the scene about 20 years ago, and his star has kept on rising ever since. Vignola is an exceptionally elegant, versatile player who has another distinctive characteristic; he uses his prodigious technique to serve the music, rather than his ego. He might also be the most expressive note-bender in the business. A fan of Charlie Christian, Basie and Bucky, as well as Eric Clapton, Vignola glides across genre boundaries without a net, playing full-frontal straight-ahead jazz with a dash of blues, a whiff of classical, and a splash of rock n' roll. But while his palette of influences is a rich and varied one, his personal style is distinct and unmistakable. Dr. Judith Schlesinger / From the Liner Notes