Kimo Vito is a fascinating collaborative project by Jim "Kimo" West and David Vito Gregoli. Both artists are amazing guitarists and composers, and the album features seven original tracks and three covers. Acoustic guitars are the main focus on most of the tracks, but other instruments include sitar, charango, lap steel, a variety of world percussion instruments, Irish Bouzouki, fretless bass and mandolin, giving the music a very "world music" sound. Guest artists MB Gordy (world percussion) and Joss Jaffe (tabla) add their distinctive voices to the mix. The album pays homage to Windham Hill Records and the ground-breaking music that came out on that label when Will Ackerman owned it, but it doesn't try to imitate that sound.

Quoting Vito: "Most of these songs were started by one of us and finished by the other. Generally Jim played the main guitar and I did bass and overdubs, though we switched roles on certain songs. My approach to co-producing this was to make it as little like his previous releases so we’re offering something new to our listeners. I think we at least achieved that."

Quoting Jim: "My contributions were mostly guitar tracks and some compositions but Vito did all the heavy lifting, adding evocative layers of unusual instruments from his collection, mixing and mastering it all. I’m really happy with the final product and have to give Vito a major shout out for pulling it all together!"

Kimo Vito begins with Sting's gorgeous "Fragile" (1987). The song was originally written as a tribute to Ben Linder, an American civil engineer who was killed by the Contras in 1987 while working on a hydroelectric project in Nicaragua, and this arrangement has a beautifully evocative Latin flavor. Peter Gabriel's classic "In Your Eyes" (1986) follows in an arrangement that is both artistic and heartfelt. "Land of Dreams" takes a somewhat darker and more mysterious turn, adding flute, sitar and percussion (and other instrumental voices) to the guitars - a favorite. The Beatles' "Let It Be" was a bit of a surprise when I heard the album the first time, but it fits in beautifully. Vito and Kimo present a wonderful arrangement that stays very true to the original melody and spirit of the song while presenting it in a unique way. "On The Road To Windham" features fretless bass, mandolin and hand percussion in addition to the guitars and has a very "Windham Hill" sound that is smooth, uplifting and easy to get lost in - another favorite. Light and playful, "Pandora's Musical Box" also expresses a dreamy-ness that I really like. "Southern Coast" could refer to a lot of places, but the place that inspired this piece is sooo warm and peaceful - just the acoustic guitars and some ocean sounds - love it! "Sanctum" brings the album to a relaxed and dreamy close with a fascinating combination of instruments that soothe and warm the soul. Ahhhhhhh....

Kimo and Vito have created a unique musical experience and I'll be very surprised if it doesn't bring home a boatload of awards! Kimo Vito is available to download and stream from Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes as well as from many of the streaming platforms including Spotify. Very highly recommended!