Never Before...Never Again

by Joe Venuti / Tony Romano

One of the greatest jazz guitar/violin duos ever recorded, recorded in 1978, paired the great Joe Venuti, the jazz violinist who in the 1920's and 1930's set the standard for all jazz violinists to come - and his life-long friend and musical partner, guitarist/singer/composer Tony Romano - a man who built his career as a guitarist and singer for radio and Hollywood movie productions in the 1930s. Romano became the accompanist of choice for Bob Hope, and arranged songs for Bing Crosby and the great songwriter Johnny Mercer, who produced the special album presented here. In the 1920's and 30's, Venuti and guitarist Eddie Lang created a new type of string jazz that would provide the blueprint for their European counterparts - gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli. On "Never Before...Never Again," Tony Romano plays a special guitar that was willed to him - Eddie Lang's vintage Gibson L-5. All selections newly remastered.