Johnny A.

Local guitarist Johnny A.'s second release for Steve Vai's boutique label is a wonderfully vivid set of 12 instrumentals, which demonstrate A.'s versatility and style. He moves from late night to jump blues to country-inflected grooves to lovely balladeering to straight-up rock without missing a beat. Each song informs and punctuates another and A.'s playing is crisp, precise, and extremely eloquent throughout. Unlike so many of his peers, the guitarist understands that the space between notes speaks as loudly as a blizzard run down the fretboard. He underplays when necessary and ratchets it up when there's a call for fireworks, but there's not an ostentatious lead anywhere in the 50 minutes of music. There are magical moments including the lyrical, lilting ``Poor Side of Town'' and the bluesy ``Krea Gata.'' That song arrives like a quiet sunrise, then ascends and explodes into colors before dissolving into silence. Johnny A. writes all of the songs except for two covers, including Jimi Hendrix's ``The Wind Cries Mary,'' which the guitarist richly reimagines. He's helped ably by a top-notch ensemble propelled by the steady Ron Stewart on drums and Ken Clark on B3 organ. A delightful listen.