DESCRIPTION:
Never Before... Never Again was a happening. Produced by friend, Johnny Mercer, this album was the result of many years of two musician friends playing together.
The photographs are from a later session that the two played at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
It too, was an impromptu event typical of Joe who was unstructured, to say the least. In everything but music that is. Bucky Pizzarelli told me that the two came backstage when he was playing at the Concord Jazz festival, and serenaded him.
You will find this a different sort of Autumn Leaves, but it is two great musicians having fun and sharing harmonies. Joe Venuti had 'Perfect Intonation.' It is so apparent on this album. Some of the notes, for their brilliance alone, could make you cry.
There is a beautiful harmony between the Venuti violin and Romano guitar, and there is a lovely section where Tony Romano sings what he called 'the cello parts,' and Joe Venuti sails above the notes with characteristic exquisite, heart bending playing. Also, for fans of Venuti, you will hear Joe hurtle into an unexpected (but not for Romano) classical interlude with stunning arpeggios... All this classical cavorting was because Venuti had been trained classically, and Romano too. On the violin! ~ Lisa